Changing Winds
by shippoman
Summary: The Gotei 13 is gaining a new member and boy is this one a doosey. She gets lost on the first day and nearly destroy's her squads barracks. The Gotei 13 really has their hands full keeping her under control. Takes place years before the past arc. KenseiXoc sort of.
1. Chapter 1

SM: Alright so this is my first attempt at writing a story without my co-writer. I'm not too sure how it's going to turn out but I hope it's at least entertaining. Enough about that though, it's time to get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

_**Changing Winds**_

Chapter 1: Arrival-Welcome to the Gotei 13

"She's late."

"Maybe she just got lost."

"Yeah, after all the Seireitei is a big place. Newbies get lost in here all the time."

It was early afternoon and Kensei was sitting in the meeting hall of the squad 9 barracks. He was waiting impatiently with the rest of his squad for the newest member to walk through the doors, but she was already almost an hour late and it was starting to irritate him. He sat at the head of the room leaning heavily on his large fist in boredom. His gray fringe hanging just over his eyes.

"They're right, Kensei! Besides she looked really spacey!" the girl next to him exclaimed cheerfully. Her green curly hair bouncing as she wiggled in her seat.

"Tch, like you're one to talk," Kensei muttered darkly. She really knew how to agitate him, and some days just her voice did the trick.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door that was barely heard over the chattering squad members. Kensei raised an eyebrow in the direction of the door and a few moments later it slowly opened an inch or two.

"Uh...is this...the squad 9 barracks?" a nervous voice asked.

The members all glanced at each other as one of the unseated members went over and pulled the door open further. As he did so the girl behind it fell in having been leaning heavily against it. Kensei internally groaned as he watched her fall to the floor and ran a hand through his hair in irritation.

"You're late," he stated firmly giving her a stern glare as she quickly returned to her feet trying not to meet anyone's eyes.

"I-I know, sir," she mumbled, sitting up and wringing her hands nervously. Her long, strait hair was a dark red, almost black, and hung loosely in front of her face thanks to her fall. "I-I'm so sorry. I got lost along the way."

"Then how'd you find your way?" a tall thin man asked with long auburn hair. He looked genuinely concerned about her well being.

"Well...Lieutenant Aizen...showed me the way," she answered. She hunched her shoulders up to her ears as she spoke giving off the air that she was embarrassed by this.

"So...because you couldn't follow instructions, you troubled the Lieutenant of a different squad to lead you here," Kensei summed up easily.

"N-no...well I guess maybe," she mumbled in reply. "B-but he offered to..." Her words cut off as she quickly looked up from the floor to argue her case only to freeze at the look he was giving her. "Yes, I-I troubled him...to help me."

"Kensei, you big meanie!" the green haired girl exclaimed, jumping up and latching onto the slightly taller girl. "You're scaring Ume!" She turned her head, brown meeting dark green for an instant, before she smiled widely at the girl. "I'm the Lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna. Welcome to squad 9, Ume."

"Ah...thanks," the girl muttered nervously looking in the opposite direction.

Kensei sighed at this as he got to his feet and marched over to the pair. The girl froze forcing herself to stare at the floor as he glared down at her. Then he dropped one hand onto her head and forced her to face the entire squad, her eyes widening in surprise. "Alright, enough of this crap," he growled lowly. "You're entering your first squad so drop the nervous act and introduce yourself already."

"R-right," the girl squeaked, her long dark red hair bunching up beneath his grip. "I-I'm Yukiko, actually...and um, I guess I'm the new 10th seat."

"You guess?" Kensei demanded incredulously. "You are the 10th seat. Quit acting so meek and have some freakin' confidence already."

"S-sorry," she squeaked again turning out of his hold and bowing deeply to him. "I-I'll try to do better, sir."

"And another thing, it's not sir," he grumbled. "The names Kensei Muguruma. Call me Captain, or Captain Muguruma, that's it."

"Yes...Captain Muguruma!" she acknowledged, flinching under his harsh tone.

"Kensei, you're scaring her again, you big meanie!" Mashiro scolded again grabbing hold of Yukiko from behind. "Now it's time to meet everyone else!" She turned and directed the girl's attention to a tall dark skinned man with a white mask and goggles covering his face and an afro. "This here is Tousen, he's our 3rd seat!" Yukiko visibly stiffened but it went on unaddressed as she turned again facing a tall bald man with a dark brown mustache. "This is Kazaki, he's our 5th seat." Yukiko nodded to the stern looking man appearing as if each new face was only adding to her fear. Then Mashiro turned her back towards the auburn haired man. "This is Eishima, he's our 4th seat." The man smiled at her in greeting and Yukiko managed a tiny quirk of her lips in reply before she was turned yet again to a man with black hair up in a high ponytail and a white headband. "And this is Toudo, he's our 6th seat." Yukiko barely inclined her head towards the man. "Well...I guess that's everyone important. So what do you think?"

The other members in the room sweat at this knowing there were at least a dozen other seated members that weren't mentioned, but she still referred to the them as unimportant.

"Lieutenant Kuna, I know she'll get the chance to meet the others, but I still think it's a bit much to refer to them as unimportant," Eishima hissed under his breath.

"What, she'll only really be dealing with us to start with," Mashiro reasoned. "Kensei said so. Is there something wrong with that?"

Before anyone else could speak, the Captain's fist came down on the Lieutenant's head. "That's enough, they don't need to know what we're going to be doing just yet," he growled. "Now we got a lot to do, so why don't you take the kid around the barracks and show her where her new room is."

"Okay!" Mashiro agreed readily grabbing a hold of Yukiko's arm. "Come on! You'll love it!" And with that the two disappeared out the door, the Lieutenant still happily holding onto the new girl who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

After the two were gone, Kensei dismissed the rest of the squad accept for his commando unit. "Captain, what did Lieutenant Kuna mean about us dealing with the new girl more than the others?" Eishima asked curiously.

"She's got a lot of uncontrolled power," Kensei explained easily pulling out a few documents. "Problem is everyone she's ever dealt with has been unable to deal with it so she's had to try to learn to control it herself. We're going to be kicking her into shape before I let her go on any missions with the other squad members."

"How powerful is she?" Toudo asked confused by the explanation.

"Just her reiatsu has injured her fellow classmates back at the academy," the captain explained looking each of them over. "It tends to be triggered by her emotions or by losing her focus."

"So she has no discipline," Kazaki stated in understanding. Everyone nodded in agreement picturing the small girl and trying to figure out why their captain decided to make such an untrained girl their 10th seat.

"What are her powers?" Tousen asked, drawing everyone's attention back to the captain.

Kensei gave the group one of his special smirks. "You'll have to wait 'till tonight," he told them mysteriously. "I made sure Mashiro knows to take her to the southern training grounds. She'll give all of you a quick demonstration. Once that's over, I'm going to need all of your assistance in getting her trained properly."

The Commando Unit all declared their agreement to their captain's declaration. Once that was settled, they turned their attention to the folder their captain held in his hands as he began handing out important assignments to each of them to carry out.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was silent as she was dragged along by the over excited Lieutenant. The older girl showed no sign of letting up either. Unfortunately, the new member could not get up the courage to say anything to her about her now aching hand.<p>

"This is the cafeteria, Ume," Mashiro explained pointing out a room filled with tables that had people sitting at them eating. "Doesn't all that food look good?" It was clear her mouth was watering and she wanted to stop and eat, but somehow she managed to keep her focus...sort of. "I'll have Kensei get me something when we're done."

Yukiko nodded though she really didn't get what the girl was talking about. The next couple hours were spent with Mashiro dragging her all over the barracks and the rest of the squad nine area, while Yukiko tried with all her might not to fall or have her arm ripped out of her socket.

The last place she was shown to was a small room with a table in the center, a small shelf against a wall and a mattress lying on the floor at the back. "And this is where you'll be staying, Ume!" Mashiro explained before twirling around the room. "It's a lot smaller than mine...but that's okay. You can come stay over whenever you want."

"Uh...thank you...Lieutenant Kuna," Yukiko murmured nervously.

"NO! We're friends now, so just call me Mashiro."

"Ah...M-Mashiro..." she stuttered finding it difficult to call her superior something so informal.

"Much better!" the Lieutenant exclaimed happily as she hugged the young 10th seat. "Well, we should get going. Kensei's waiting for us. Oh and don't worry, all your stuff is being brought here, so when you get back it'll be filled."

"Th-thank you...I think."

"Come on!" Mashiro called out, grabbing a hold of her arm once more and dragging her out the door. "Kensei's waiting!"

* * *

><p>Hours after the introduction of the strange girl, Kensei and his Commando Unit stood on the edge of the southern training grounds as the sun set below the horizon. They waited patiently, quietly, for about twenty minutes as the grounds grew continuously darker until the two females appeared. Mashiro was still dragging the other around, her face beaming with an expectant smile while the other looked increasingly nervous, again.<p>

Once the two reached the edge of the training grounds, Mashiro finally let the younger girl go and went to stand next to the others as the captain approached her. "All right kid, I saw the demonstration you put on at the school," he started making her flinch slightly and her face redden. "I want you to do something similar here. Show us all what you have to offer, what your skills are, what you are able to do with just your reiatsu, and even how far you can go with your Shikai."

"B-but, my Shikai is really..." she started in a timid stutter.

He cut her off with an amused glare. "If you can manage to hurt any of us with that, then we don't deserve our positions," he told her seriously. "Now get moving."

She nodded reluctantly before heading down into the center of the grounds while the Commando Unit all relaxed on the grass where they'd been standing; Mashiro sprawling out completely on her back complaining about being too tired.

Once they were all settled in, Kensei called down to Yukiko letting her know she could start. She bowed to him, signaling that she'd heard, and made her way to the very center of the grounds before taking up her starting position.

Then she began slowly raising her reiatsu, the air around her starting to shift until it became a torrent of wind, barely leaving her visible as it shot out in all directions making her stop and stare in fear. The group of spectators didn't flinch as one strip headed right for them only to be stopped by a flick of the captain's wrist.

She stared at them in slack-jawed awe as the rest of her expelled reiatsu dissipated; all except for a single strip that struck the tree-line directly across from the spectators, knocking over several of the trees before finally dissipating. "I'm so sorry!" the girl finally expressed bending fully at the waist to show her apology.

Kensei took a moment to look at the expressions his men wore at the display and was pleased to see a rather surprised response. He could tell from that one display of power, the girl had their full attention, just as she'd done with him, and just as she'd done with Shinji; or at least he was sure that was what caught the blonde's attention.

"Don't worry about it, just keep going," he shouted down to her waving away her apology.

She nodded reluctantly after that before moving on to her sword play. She easily drew her blade and began going through all the training exercises she could remember. This part obviously was not well received by his men as they stared at her with bored expressions.

"She's not very good at this is she?" Kazaki asked frowning down at her.

"Not really," Kensei agreed.

"Her movements are rather elegant and flowing though," Eishima pointed out.

"They are just lacking any real strength," Tousen supplied.

"Yeah, but I didn't pick her for her swordsmanship," Kensei stated easily. "Just wait a second...you'll see."

They all shrugged and continued to watch as she paused, took a deep breath, and used her right hand to hold her sword by the handle pointing down, while sliding her left hand down the blade to the tip and called out, "Breathe, Soyokaze."

The energy around her exploded, shooting a barrage of wind in all directions. When the wind calmed down they were able to see her holding two fans, one in each hand. She then proceeded to swing them around her body churning the air currents around her. The amount of energy she was releasing was fairly impressive for someone who just exited the academy but what really caught their attention was when she started releasing jets of wind that would slice through everything in their path.

The Unit saw her expression become far more serious as she continued to fling the deadly wind with fluid, elegant motions. Then all at once, they felt her energy spike and a particularly powerful gust fired off towards the barracks. She almost fell over in her attempt to stop it, but soon found it was a pointless attempt as Kensei was already in front of it and blocking it with his hand.

Yukiko sighed in relief as she collapsed to her knees and panted heavily trying to get her breath back. "I can see why she needs a more powerful trainer," Tousen murmured voicing the others' thoughts.

Meanwhile, Kensei made his way down into the training ground. "You need to have better concentration when handling your Shikai," he muttered darkly.

"I-I know," she whimpered tensing in her position on the ground. "I'm so sorry. I slipped up and nearly hurt everyone."

"You're right, you really screwed up," he said firmly. Then he reached down and lifted her up off the ground and back on her feet. "That's kind of the whole reason I had you demonstrate your abilities here. Everyday you're going to be training with all of us here until you have complete control over your own power."

"S-sir?" she asked looking up at him in surprise. "How come?"

"Uncontrolled power is just a disaster waiting to happen," he explained. "Don't worry, you won't be around the unseated members until you've gained control. Can't have you accidentally killing off my squad."

"R-right sir."

"That's Captain Muguruma."

"S-sorry. Captain Muguruma."

"Ume!" Yukiko jumped as Mashiro tackled her to the ground. "You were awesome. We should spar, it'll be great!"

"Not right now, Mashiro," Kensei sighed pulling his Lieutenant off the lower seated member. "The kid probably needs some sleep too. Just wait until tomorrow."

"Ah, you're no fun Kensei," Mashiro pouted. She didn't argue though as Kensei began escorting her away from the training ground.

Before he got too far, he turned back to his new 10th seat and gave her a curt nod. "Hey, get yourself some sleep. Make sure you're ready first thing in the morning for training."

She nodded and bowed to him as he turned back around dragging Mashiro with him.

* * *

><p>Yukiko's POV<p>

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was the first time anyone had actually attempted to assist her in gaining control. She was thrilled at the idea that she'd finally be able to learn how to use her abilities without hurting anyone by accident.

She watched her new captain leave with the rest of the commando unit without any of them looking back at her and she felt her spirits plummet. They weren't doing it to help her. She was certain they actually hated the idea of needing to help such an undisciplined and frankly dangerous soul reaper.

She sighed to herself and started heading back to the barracks to get some much needed sleep trying hard not to think about her new trainers. As she went, she got some odd looks from the other squad members that she passed. Had they seen her screw up?

No one so much as spoke to her and she felt her spirits plummet even more. It was turning out to be the same as the school and the orphanage. No one would want to approach her, or talk to her much less actually befriend her. She was going to be all alone again and there was nothing that would change that.

When she finally reached her room, she collapsed onto her bed and curled up into a protective ball before starting to cry. She'd never be an effective soul reaper. She'd always be the plague that everyone that she was. It had always been a hopeless endeavor to try, as everyone had always told her. Maybe...she should really give up.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: So that's the end of chapter 1. I know there wasn't a whole lot of information and it probably seemed weird. All the chapters will be switching from Kensei's POV to Yukiko's POV. Anyway, since my cowriter Copper Moon is unable to write currently I decided to try my hand at writing my own stuff. So let me know what you think. Criticism is always welcome, though no flames please.<p>

Squad 9's got themselves a new 10th seat and boy does she need a lot of work. Will they be able to train her to have control or will she become a destructive entity? Stay tuned to find out.


	2. Learning Control

Chapter 2: Learning Control

A few hours after the girl's demonstration, Kensei sat at the table in his room going over some last bits of paperwork from the day that he hadn't been able to get finished yet. After a moment of focusing only on the soft scratching of his pen on the paper, he glanced up and around his room. It was a good size, holding a receiving area for guests, a bedroom and a bathroom off to the far corner. The table he was seated at was directly in the center with two chairs, against one wall sat a bookshelf filled with books, a single window sat at the far side with a decent view of the rest of squad 9, and a couch was situated nearby.

He noticed that Mashiro had fallen asleep on his couch, again, and her front was slightly exposed as she squirmed a bit in her sleep. Slowly so as not to awaken her, he reached over and adjusted it just enough to where he wouldn't have to see any of her cleavage any longer. Then he went over to one of the closets and grabbed a blanket and draped it over her.

As the soft fabric touched down, she shifted slightly and smiled. "Hmmm...Ume's strong. Pervy Kensei wants to fight her," she giggled lightly.

He groaned internally and ran a hand through his hair. She really was a pain, no matter what time of day it was or what state she was in. Silently, he returned to his seat and continued to work on his paperwork.

A few minutes later, he paused again as his mind was still stuck on the dark haired female that had just joined his squad. He still didn't really know anything about her, but based on the way she acted since she arrived, he was pretty sure most of her problems controlling her powers stemmed from self-confidence issues. Probably a few other things too, but unless it really became a problem it shouldn't matter too much. The expression she wore when she was in the zone was all he needed to see to know she would be one heck of a fighter.

Then again, he wouldn't have even known she existed had it not been for Shinji. That idiot blonde went to the academy a week before to check out the new graduates before they started trying for positions within the Gotei. When he got back he'd told Kensei all about the young girl and that he should see her in action himself.

Now that he thought about it, that was the only piece of advice he'd ever followed from the captain of squad 5. And it turned out to be a good plan.

He'd gone to the academy on the day where all the students ready for graduation would be showing off their skills not only to the heads of the school but also any captains that thought about going to see it. Most of the applicants were nothing to write home about and both he and Mashiro found themselves almost snoozing in boredom. That was when Yukiko came out.

As soon as she appeared, the crowd seemed to grow restless and pull back in their seats. Some went so far as to make cat calls. Many were shouting the name Ume and telling her to quit before she wrecked the place. At the time Kensei didn't understand what their problem was, mostly because Shinji hadn't given him any details on the girl. Then she began her performance showing her skills with the sword (not bad but not impressive either), skills with kido (average for one of her age and level), and finally she released her blade.

She was the first person there to actually blow him away. She really didn't look like much as she was rather thin and had no skill with the sword, but when her blade released he felt her swell of power and realized it was a wind elemental much like his own. Also, her reiatsu swelled to the point where it became visible in the form of wind currents much like his own, though hers held more of a violet tint to it instead of his green.

She amazed him with her level of control by moving the wind with her two fans around her body and then slicing through target after target. Then moments later her foot slipped, her energy spiked, and a powerful attack crashed against the stands shaking the barrier that was there to keep the onlookers safe. She'd quickly put her sword away and bowed multiple times to the headmaster apologizing profusely for her lack of concentration before she was escorted out.

Kensei had quickly realized why Shinji tried to get him to see her. Their skills were similar is some respects and her reiatsu had the same affect his did. Unfortunately, she lacked the control he had, which is why he was told to see her. Chances were he was the only one who would be able to fully understand where her lack of control stemmed from and how to fix it. After all, it was painfully obvious she wasn't getting much help on that level at the academy. So after that he'd pulled some strings to get the forms completed except for her signature sent to her to sign. Once she did, everything went through smoothly landing him in this position now.

He rubbed his eyes coming out of his reverie and glanced over at the sleeping Mashiro once more. His Lieutenant had really taken to the new girl and probably scared her far more than his own rough speech. Still though, he knew being soft on her would only make her worse...not like he really could be that soft. He'd just have to kick the hesitation and weakness out of her.

He grinned to himself at the thought before starting back on his paperwork. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day to say the least. Now if he could only get his Lieutenant to leave him alone when he wanted it.

* * *

><p>A few weeks after beginning her training, Kensei walked in on her sparring with Tousen. During this time she had slowly started to open up to the few she trained with. She even smiled once or twice, which Eishima noted made her look rather cute. Kensei had to agree she looked better with a smile, but he'd never go so far as to use the word cute.<p>

She was also getting better at controlling herself. At the very least she no longer had her energy spiking just because she became spooked. Now she could almost use it at will without lifting her sword. As for her Shikai, he was rather proud about that one. She was now able to go through an entire sparring session with Mashiro without losing her concentration and accidentally devastating an entire area. He was pretty certain that within the next couple weeks, if the training progressed at the rate it was, that she'd far exceed the position she was originally drafted to. However, despite this he knew that she'd need to gain some experience completing actual missions as a leader herself and with a group before she was ready for such a recommendation.

Today though, was a rather relaxed session of her just trying to keep on her toes against Tousen. Kensei could tell that she'd grown rather fond of the 3rd seat so he often put the two together as it seemed to set her at ease.

"You need to increase your speed," Tousen said loudly enough to where she could hear him. She nodded, her eyes setting in light determination before she began moving just a smidge faster. "Better."

She seemed to have an inner celebration as she landed oddly and her foot slipped out from under her making her slide across the ground to rest at Kensei's feet. "Oops..." she muttered pushing herself up and trying not to show the pain she was in. She glanced up and noticed her captain standing there with an amused smirk on his face. She paled slightly taking a couple steps back. "S-sorry! I'll do better next time Captain!"

"You're doing fine for a 10th seat kid," he told her folding his arms across his chest. "Why don't you go take a break." She nodded silently before taking off towards the barracks. "Tousen, how's the training coming?"

"She seems to be grasping the concept much easier now," the 3rd seat answered walking over to his captain and sheathing his sword. "She also seems much calmer."

"So I noticed. She didn't freak out as much when she noticed me," Kensei snickered. "I'm thinking about sending her out on a mission here. There's a pretty easy one I just received that's nothing but recon in the human world. Think she's ready to try?"

"I believe she was mentally prepared when she arrived," Tousen answered calmly. "Though, only now do I believe she is physically as well."

"Heh, good answer. I'll give her the order tonight, let her have a couple hours to prepare before having her lead a small team out."

"Any idea who?" Tousen asked curiously. He knew that the unseated members were rather nervous around her, mostly because a few had witnessed her train and the story of her uncontrolled power spread. Many were too afraid to even approach her.

"I have a few in mind," Kensei answered waving away any concern. "They'll be able to take a hit from her if something goes wrong but still be low enough to take orders from her. Anyway, until then keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't chicken out before it's time."

"Yes, Captain." With that, the darker member took off, possibly to spend the day with the intriguing female.

Once he was gone, Kensei let a long sigh escape him as he thought about how that night was going to go. He was certain the kid was still afraid of him and this would only become worse once she heard his plan for her to head a mission herself. He could already see her nervously greeting the men she'd be in charge of and fail to instill any sort of confidence in them. Still, he hoped that by the end of the night she not only would manage to succeed her first mission but also prove to herself and them that she could be an effective leader.

As he stood there contemplating how he'd go about breaking the news, he was interrupted by someone jumping onto his back with a loud shout. "Kensei!" The voice alone told him who it was, though he figured out she was there long before she attacked him. She never was good at hiding herself.

"What do you want, Mashiro? I'm kind of busy right now," he grumbled.

"Where'd Ume go? She's almost always here," Mashiro demanded looking all around them from her perch on his back.

"She's taking a break," Kensei answered with a shrug.

"Ah ok then!" Mashiro exclaimed hopping off his back. "Then maybe she'll want to play!" With that she took off in search of the young 10th seat before her captain could even speak.

"Ugh, there's another one I have to deal with. What a pain," he grumbled. Then with another agitated sigh, he went in search of the men who would be leaving on the mission that night.

* * *

><p>As soon as she was dismissed by her Captain, Yukiko took off moving as quickly as she could away from him. It wasn't that she was ungrateful to him or anything, he just kind of scared her. Granted, he wasn't nearly as terrifying as he'd been that first day but still.<p>

She began to relax a bit as soon as she was beyond the barracks and out of sight, allowing herself a small reprieve. It didn't last long, however, as pretty soon she began to notice a small group of squad members standing together and talking in hushed voices. As she drew nearer, one of them spotted her, alerted the others and they left.

Yukiko's heart sank when she saw this, but she understood why. Ever since joining the squad she'd actually had a pretty good record...well one that said she didn't accidentally hurt someone nearly as often. Unfortunately, within her first week she'd had a moment where while on edge after a training session, an unseated member had startled her by tapping her shoulder. The poor soul reaper was blown away from her by her spooked reiatsu and shipped over to squad 4 for healing.

She cringed thinking about the incident and the look her Captain had given her for it. If looks could kill, she'd have been dead long ago...but her Captain's probably would have found a way to do it anyway.

As her spirits continued to drop, she leaned against a nearby wall and slid to the ground. She would have started crying, believing no one else was around, but a small tap on her head alerted her to another person's presence.

Slowly looking up, she found Tousen standing over her, his face hidden by the white mask. "Is there something troubling you?" he asked calmly.

Yukiko shook her head slowly and stared at the ground, then she sighed deciding she needed to get things off her chest. "I don't belong here," she muttered slowly. "I'm thinking about just quitting and going back to the Rukongai."

"That would be a terrible waste," Tousen replied easily. "We've spent weeks training you to control your power. Will you really throw all that hard work away?"

Yukiko cringed at this, but she still couldn't rid herself of the emptiness in her gut. "It wouldn't matter," she mumbled. "No one thinks I can actually do this job anyway. They're probably right." She pulled her knees up to her chin as she spoke and buried her face in them.

"Has someone said this to you?"

"They don't have to. You've heard the expression that the eyes are the window to a person's soul...well their eyes say everything."

The third seat watched her for a moment before removing his mask and taking a seat next to her. "Do mine?" he asked slowly.

Yukiko lifted her head reluctantly and glanced over to tell him she could never see his eyes cause they were always hidden. But at the sight of the milky white orbs that gazed back, she couldn't say a thing. They appeared to be sad...and maybe a little concerned. They really stood out against his darker skin, which looked really smooth and pretty.

She felt herself blush slightly and quickly shook her head. "N-no," she said quickly, averting her gaze. Then she pulled herself tighter together for protection. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that you were...well..."

"Blind?" he offered. "Yes, well I may not see as the rest of the world, but I can still tell that you will be selling yourself short by simply quitting."

"I've hurt people...and I still don't have any control," she mumbled dejectedly. "Even the Captain doesn't think I can do this."

"If that was the case you wouldn't still be in this squad," Tousen stated firmly.

Yukiko looked up at him in surprise and her body slowly uncurled. "W-what do you mean?"

"I've known the Captain for a very long time," he explained softly. "But despite how he looks, he truly does believe you'll make something of yourself. He refuses to put effort into anything he doesn't think will have any benefit."

Yukiko thought this over for a moment, wondering if what the third seat was saying was true. "And...what about you?"

"Your skills are mediocre at best," he told her bluntly. She pulled her shoulders up to her ears in response. "However, in the past few weeks I have seen great improvement. You have the potential to become very powerful. Giving up now would be a waste of that power, a waste of that talent."

She blushed heavily at this and smiled up at him. "Y-you really think so?" she asked slowly. He simply nodded while replacing the mask back on his face. She paused thinking over his words and feeling that void slowly feel like it was finally closing up. It made her feel good. Like she could actually succeed.

She wanted nothing more than to have people proud of her work, of her skill and hated the idea of letting anyone down. Leaving now before she truly gave this training everything she had would do just that...let them down. Her resolve strengthened, she got to her feet determined to keep going. Wanting nothing more than to make her Captain, and other squad members proud to have her with them.

Turning back to Tousen, she smiled again. "Thanks...I really needed that," she murmured offering him her hand. He took it and she helped him back to his feet. "I-I won't let you down, Tousen." She blushed as she said this and turned away from him, leading the way through the courtyard.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, before the sun fully set, Kensei went to the mess hall of the squad barracks certain that the kid would be there. When he arrived he saw her seated at a small table with only Tousen, Mashiro, and Eishima. She didn't seem to be saying anything, but occasionally she did nod in acknowledgment of the others. Only once did he see a smile tug at the corner of her lips. Well...at least she seemed to be loosening up.<p>

"Hey, kid, I got something for you," he announced marching over to their table and taking a seat at the end.

"W-what is it, Captain?" she asked tentatively. It irked him that she was still so wary of him.

"I'm going to be sending you on a mission kid," he explained with a wave of his hand. "You'll be heading out as soon as you're finished eating."

"Uh...a mission?" she asked in surprise. "But...I'll be going with someone...right?"

"You'll have four men going with you," Kensei acknowledged. "But you're the one who's going to be in charge."

Yukiko stared at him in shock at his words and he could see the uncertainty building quickly. "C-captain, you know I can't..." she tried to protest but he cut her off.

"You're a tenth seat so you'll have to get used to being in charge of unseated and lower seated members," he told her seriously. "It comes with the position."

"He's right," Eishima tried to reassure. "With a seated position comes certain responsibilities. You would be expected to act on those eventually."

"Especially in the moment of a crises," Tousen added. "The unseated members look to us for guidance on what to do."

"B-but I've never..." Yukiko stuttered.

"You'll make an awesome leader, Ume!" Mashiro exclaimed wrapping her arms around the younger member. "I'll even come with you."

"No you won't," Kensei said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because that would defeat the whole purpose of this mission," Kensei said loudly.

"That's not fair! I want to see Ume's first mission!" Mashiro whined as she fell to the floor and started throwing a fit.

"You're not going so quit acting like a spoiled brat!" Kensei shouted angrily.

Tousen and Eishima just shook their heads ignoring the stares their little discussion was eliciting. Yukiko glanced from the Lieutenant writhing on the ground to the others sitting around the table. She opened her mouth a couple times to speak, but nothing came out.

"It's not going to be anything huge," Kensei grumbled deciding to ignore his whining Lieutenant. "I just need you to take them into the human world to investigate an unusual hollow. Just gather any information you can on it and bring it back. Don't engage it in battle, just observe."

Yukiko slowly raised her head to look her Captain in the eye. Then she slowly nodded in understanding. When he saw her agree, Kensei smirked and then motioned towards the door where four men, clad in the sleeveless soul reaper uniform that all members of squad 9 wore, stood.

"This is the team you'll be taking with you," Kensei introduced.

"I'm Sakagi," one introduced. He was about six feet tall with short scraggly blond hair.

"I'm Darui," the second said sheepishly. He was about five-seven and his beefy hand scratched the back of his head through the shoulder length black locks.

"Kouga's the name," the third told her. He had a cocky smirk on his face that was somewhat covered by his nape-length brown hair.

"And I'm Harris," the last one murmured. His voice was slightly higher pitched than the others, probably because he was younger, and his blue hair was styled so it stuck straight up in the air.

"H-hi," she mumbled in greeting avoiding meeting any of their eyes.

"You're the tenth seat Ume right?" Darui asked raising an eyebrow. It was clear to Kensei that he didn't find her very impressive.

Yukiko muttered something under her breath making it impossible for the others to hear her. "What was that?" Kouga asked leaning forward.

"I-it's Yukiko...but, yeah," she repeated rubbing her hands together and digging her toe into the floor.

"Then say something about it, so we can hear you," Sakagi scolded. Yukiko winced at his reply and Kensei ran a hand over his face in frustration while Tousen and Eishima sweatdropped.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, why does the Lieutenant call you Ume?" Harris brought up slowly.

"That's what everyone calls her," Mashiro answered jumping up off the floor and wrapping an arm around Yukiko's shoulders.

"N-no, not really," Yukiko stuttered.

"Right, well since you're all introduced, it's time to get moving," Kensei cut in getting all of their attention as he got to his feet. "You four are to listen to her orders. What she says goes."

"Yes, Captain!" the four all responded with full salutes.

After that, Kensei dragged his Lieutenant off his tenth seat allowing the younger member to follow the four out the door. As he watched her slowly shuffle her way outside, he suddenly got a sense of foreboding. Somehow, he was sure this one mission wouldn't be as simple as he first believed.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Kensei's getting nervous. Not surprising considering how their introduction went. How will this first mission go though? Will it end in success or failure? Find out next time.<p> 


	3. Defensive

_**Chapter 3 : Defensive**_

* Knock * * Knock *

"Come in," Kensei called out from his table in the middle of his room. It was past midnight and he was staying up so he could hear the results of his tenth seat's first mission as a leader.

After the call to enter, the door to his room slid open and a tall man with long blonde hair entered. He wore a captain's haori over top his soul reaper uniform, and a blade at his hip. "Hey, Kensei, how're things going?" he greeted going in and taking a seat at the table.

"Same as always," he answered glancing up from the paperwork he had been leafing through. "Oh, and Shinji, that investigation into what happened at your barracks mess hall is finished. You should be able to use it again."

"Well, I'm sure the others will be glad to hear that," Shinji replied with a shrug. "Is there anything I have to sign or is it all taken care of?"

"No, it's all done. I had Tousen finish up the paperwork earlier."

"Hmm...good to know." He looked Kensei over for a few moments and glanced over at the snoring Lieutenant lying on the sofa. Then an idea hit him and a wide smile grew over his features. "So, did you hear about the captain of squad 3 retiring?"

"Retiring? I didn't think that was possible," Kensei replied looking up from his papers again. "What's that old man thinking?"

"No idea. He said he hasn't decided one way or another so for right now he's not going anywhere."

"Even if he did, who'd take his place?"

"Well, according to him, he was going to recommend Rojuro Otoribashi."

"Rose? That really feminine guy from squad 7?" Kensei asked raising an eyebrow. "What makes that old man think he's ready to be captain?"

"How should I know? Granted the guy is good, but I have no idea what he's expecting," Shinji answered with a shrug.

"Tch, he won't be going anywhere. He's not the type to go into a quiet life. He's much too stubborn and high strung."

"Hehe, I'll agree to that." Shinji chuckled lightly and for a few moments they lapsed into a period of silence.

It was quickly shattered as the door was suddenly thrown open revealing a very haggard and terrified looking Kouga. Immediately Kensei was on his feet and at the door catching the man before he hit the ground. "Kouga, what happened?" he demanded.

"Harris and Sakagi were attacked by that hollow," he panted heavily. "It waited until we were going to regroup before making its move."

"Where are Yukiko and Darui?" Kensei asked trying to stay calm.

"I brought Darui with me. He was badly hurt, but I dropped him off with the others and they're getting a hold of squad 4," Kouga explained. "Yukiko...I never thought I'd see her so serious. She ordered me to come back with Darui and alert you."

"Where is she?"

"She...stayed behind to keep the hollow occupied...and to find Harris and Sakagi," he explained through his heavy breathing.

"Shit." Kensei lowered his subordinate to the ground and turned to the squad 5 captain. "Give him a hand would ya." He moved over to the sleeping Lieutenant and shook her awake. "Come on, looks like you'll be joining Yukiko's mission after all."

Mashiro cheered and she followed Kensei out the door. He wasted no time in making his way to the senkaimon gate and into the human world. The moment he arrived he knew exactly where to start looking; the kid's reiatsu was seemingly out of control.

"What happened, Kensei?" Mashiro asked also noticing the spike. "Is Ume okay?"

"Let's go find out." Without another word he sprinted in the direction of the spiking reiatsu and Mashiro followed constantly asking about what was going on. He pointedly ignored her every question.

When they finally reached the area in question they were finally able to see what the cause of the fluctuation was. In the middle of a clearing where all the trees nearby were felled, was a spinning vortex of wind. On either side of the vortex, two identical hollows continued to slam into the wind trying to break through it.

"Two of them...why don't you go ahead and pick one...I'll take the other," he muttered to his Lieutenant.

She smiled in excitement as she disappeared and reappeared seconds later kicking one back. In a matter of minutes, both hollows were defeated despite the strangeness of them slipping in and out of existence. Even after they were gone, though, the vortex did not dissipate. Mashiro walked up to it and gave it a strong kick only managing to make it fluctuate a bit before growing even stronger.

"I don't get it, why won't it go down?" the Lieutenant asked in confusion. "This is Ume's isn't it? Why won't she let us in?"

"Because she doesn't realize it's us," Kensei answered easily. "Stand back and give me a sec." She did so watching him as he placed a hand against the wind vortex and upped his own reiatsu splitting it just enough for him to walk in.

On the other side, he saw Yukiko leaning over the two unmoving forms of Harris and Sakagi. "No...I-I won't fail. I can't let them in...never let them in," she panted in a very panicked voice. She was shaking and blood was forming a puddle around them, though it wasn't apparent who's blood it was.

Slowly, Kensei made his way towards the shivering female where he gently placed one of his large hands on her shoulder. Immediately she shot up straighter and spun around prepared to face an enemy. When her eyes met his, they softened and her body visibly relaxed.

"Captain...you made it," she gasped, tears slipping down each cheek.

"You did good, kid," he muttered slowly helping her onto her feet. "The hollows are gone, let it go now."

She nodded silently and instantly her reiatsu plummeted allowing the wind vortex to finally dissipate. "Thank...you," she panted before collapsing into his arms.

"Ugh...what a pain," he groaned lifting her up onto his shoulder. "Mashiro, grab these two and lets head back. Squad 4 should be there by now." With that, he opened up the Senkaimon gate and the two went through with the unconscious members in their arms.

* * *

><p>Everything was dark and painful as Yukiko slowly began regaining consciousness. It took everything she had not to cry out in fear when she opened her eyes and realized she wasn't in her room. She figured out pretty quickly that she was resting in squad 4 and tried with all her might to remember why she was in there.<p>

It took several minutes of calmed breathing before her memories of the night before returned and she pulled her knees up to her chest. It couldn't be. Her first mission where she was in charge and she'd blown it. Nearly all in her group had died, she'd failed to obtain any information regarding the hollow...wait hollows, and she'd nearly died trying to rescue two corpses while having the rest run for help.

She could see each of their faces in her mind and she was terrified of seeing them again. She was sure if any of them managed to survive, they'd look at her with disdain and anger, blaming her for the catastrophe of a mission and the deaths of their comrades. She'd let everybody down...there was no place for her in the Seireitei if she couldn't pull her own weight...and apparently, she couldn't.

* * *

><p>It was the next day that Kensei found himself in the fourth squad's captain's office. He was called in earlier that morning telling him that it was important for him to meet with the captain of squad 4; though no details were given.<p>

Although he was greatly irritated by this he went giving the order for his Lieutenant to stay behind. The last thing he needed was her making everything that much worse.

When he arrived at the captain's office, he found four of his men in there with her arguing about something. "What are you doing in here?" he demanded looking at each one in turn. Three of them had bandages on while the last one had obviously just arrived himself. The four men were surprised to see their captain and immediately started to explain themselves. However, they were all talking at once so he was unable to understand them. "Enough! Kouga, what's going on?"

"We were wanting to get in to see Yukiko," the only uninjured one answered quickly. "For some reason though, Captain Unohana refused to let us."

"We just wanted to make sure she was okay!" Harris piped up.

"She was the whole reason we made it out alive," Darui added.

"We owe her. We just wanted to see her," Sakagi finished. The three of them held on tightly to one of their injuries as they spoke.

Kensei sighed and looked up at Unohana who had remained silent during the whole exchange. She met his eye and gave him a peculiar look. Somehow he was able to understand it though and looked back at his men. "I'm going to go see her first. Only after will I clear you to visit," he stated firmly. The three opened their mouths to argue some more but one glare from him completely silenced them. "I'll be back in a minute."

With that he turned and followed an unseated 4th squad member to his subordinate's room. He was under the impression that the reason Unohana wouldn't let his men in was because she was still out or something. That idea was quickly shattered the moment he stepped inside and saw her curled up in the fetal position on her bed.

Seeing this, he sighed and locked the door behind him. "They're all alive you know," he muttered leaning against the wall. He watched her slowly unfurl herself and look up at him. For the first time since he met her she didn't look afraid of him.

"I-I know," she stuttered. "But I...I can't face them."

"Why? Because you think it's your fault?" he asked giving her a look that clearly said he thought she was an idiot.

"Yes..." she answered firmly. First time he'd ever heard her say anything so strongly. "I-I was in charge. I was supposed to make sure things went smoothly. Like an idiot I split us up just to find it. I should have realized before then how they were able to keep from being tracked. I almost got them all killed. I completely failed..."

"Oh please. Spare me your whining," Kensei grumbled walking over to her bed and dropping his fist onto her head. She shouted in pain and gripped her aching cranium while looking up at him in surprise. "You know what failing a mission entails?" She shook her head no. "You only fail when your whole group is dead, your objective was not met, and you ran away like a coward. That...is a failed mission."

After his declaration Yukiko stared at him. Her eyes which were puffy and red widened in surprise at his words. Then to add to the other surprises, he saw her lips turn up the slightest in a smile. "Th-thanks," she stuttered, but there was no fear in that declaration. "Um...I think I can...face them now."

Kensei smirked and opened the door. Not surprising, his men were standing outside the door waiting patiently for him to finish. The moment he opened the door, they stared at him until he motioned for them to enter. Then with big grins on their faces they burst through the door and rushed over to her bed.

"Glad to see you're alright!" Kouga exclaimed pulling her into a hug. When he let her go he laughed at the stunned look on her face.

"You had us worried," Darui explained.

"Not me," Sakagi spoke up. His cheeks turned a little red though and he coughed to relieve his embarrassment. "What? I meant I knew she'd be okay. There was no reason to worry."

"What he means is we're happy you're in one piece," Harris cut in.

Yukiko looked between each man stunned that they were as worried about her as she was about them. "I-I don't understand...you're not...mad at me?"

The guys looked at each other before laughing. "Why would we be mad at you?" Harris asked in confusion.

"I-I almost got you killed," she answered, her voice shaking.

"No, you took charge when things turned bad," Kouga spoke up. "I gotta admit, I didn't expect much from you when we started but you really impressed me when you told me to come back with Darui. I thought for sure I was talking to someone completely different."

"Plus, Harris and I saw you shield us from those hollows," Sakagi added, though grudgingly. "We wouldn't have made it out without you."

Yukiko blushed heavily at this and a smile tugged at her lips. "Ah...thanks," she murmured softly.

The four guys grinned like idiots at her acceptance before they all started talking about other things. When this happened, Yukiko noticed that Kensei left and she felt a swell of joy knowing he stuck around to see how they'd react to her.

"So, Yukiko, I know you don't like the name Ume but I've gotta ask. Where'd it come from?" Harris asked nervously. At his question the other three stopped and waited for her answer.

"Uh...well...it sort of carried over from where I grew up, to the academy, and then Mashiro heard it," Yukiko explained.

"Really, well why don't you like it?" Darui asked.

"Yeah, I think it's cute," Kouga added, grinning at the blush that appeared on her face.

"That's because...they only used it to make fun of me."

At her answer the four shouted in surprise.

"Why the hell would they do that?" Sakagi demanded.

"I used to always hang out in the plum orchard...and the name just sort of stuck," Yukiko explained rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Tch, well that's dumb," Sakagi muttered.

"Yeah...ooh I know. What if we changed that," Darui suggested.

"Like how?" Kouga asked dismissively.

"No, Darui's got a point. If we used it as a term of endearment would that be alright?" Harris cut in looking to Yukiko for approval.

She looked at all of them for a few moments thinking about the request and how Mashiro's use of her nickname was far more pleasurable than what she was used to. So, once she was finished thinking it over she nodded and smiled sheepishly at all of them. "Yeah...I think that'd be okay."

* * *

><p>Shippoman: So the mission ended in disaster though the hollows were taken out anyway. But it looks like her four companions grew a form of respect for her because of it. Maybe they'll have an impact on the rest of the squad? Who knows. The next chapter what really happened on this mission and each of the guys' change over the course of it. Be sure to review and tell me what you think and if anything needs to be changed or fixed.<p>

Ume - plum orchard


	4. Gaining Respect

_**Chapter 4: Gaining Respect**_

It was fairly late when Kensei returned to his own squad and sat at his desk to make a dent in his paperwork. Lucky for him, his Lieutenant had fallen asleep waiting for him, so he didn't have to put up with her welcome routine.

He scanned through each document separating the ones he could finish that night from the ones he needed to send off to other squads for verification, signatures, or other such irritants. This didn't take him long and at the end of it he could see his pile of work had lost a quarter of its size. Not too bad, but still meant a long night.

So, biting the bullet he got to work. He was making good time when he came across five reports all talking about the same thing. Somehow, Unohana had managed to get Yukiko and her group to finish writing their reports about the mission and make it on his desk before he returned. She was a freakin' miracle worker. Seriously.

Each one started nearly the same, but the moment the group split up it was entirely different.

"_It was dark when we entered the world of the living and I checked with our "leader" to see if she was sure she had the right place," _Sakagi had written. _"Surprise surprise, she stuttered a bit before answering. I didn't have a shred of respect for this whimp, but the Captain ordered us to follow her so we all waited to hear what plan she'd come up with."_

"_I was a little disappointed when she suggested we should split up,"_ Darui wrote. It was clear from his hand writing that he didn't care to admit it. _"I mean granted it was a large area, but we couldn't even feel the hollow. Plus, since it was her fist mission to the human world you'd think she'd at least want one of us with her, but no. She put me with Kouga and separated the rest. I got to admit though, I'm really glad now I wasn't alone."_

"_So we went our separate ways, her going North alone, Harris heading South, Sakagi heading West, and Darui and me going to the East,"_ Kouga had scratched out. His was really difficult to determine. _"It didn't really seem to do any good. We looked everywhere for this so called Hollow but couldn't find a thing. I was starting to wonder if maybe the science department had made a mistake on the location and our fearless leader had failed to check on it."_

"_I kept my thoughts to myself through this, listening to the bickering from Kouga and Sakagi over the lines,"_ Harris had added. _"I had hoped our leader would tell them to stop, but I suppose a timid soul like hers would simply take it. True we had yet to actually sense any sign of our quarry, but a little silence would have been nice. At any rate, the two hour limit came up and we started heading back. I was the first to be hit. It came out of nowhere, jumping from Hueco Mundo to the land of the living at such a speed I did not have time to register he was coming until I had his claws burried into my side. I attempted to alert the others but my hell butterfly was quickly destroyed by a second identical Hollow. We were unprepared and I believed we would all be slaughtered."_

Kensei paused at this point and moved the notes around looking for one that told in detail what came next. He settled on Yukiko's, her neat handwriting spelling out carefully the following events.

"_We were all heading back to the center of the city as per our agreement." _Figures she didn't actually order this._ "That's when I heard it, the sound of the Hollow. It almost sounded as if it was screaming in a sort of harmony...but the report said there was only one so I ignored this. I met with Darui and Kouga but there was no sign of Sakagi or Harris. I knew something had happened as Kouga attempted to make contact. There was nothing."_

** * Scene ***

"It's no use they're not answering," Kouga muttered darkly.

"I thought I felt their reiatsu spike earlier," Darui admitted. "Do you think the Hollow got to them?"

"Both of them?" Kouga demanded harshly. "Yeah right. They're tougher than that."

"W-we shouldn't take the chance," Yukiko stuttered. She knew something had gone wrong and wanted to check on them, but her nervousness made her tongue go dry. She couldn't think of what else to say.

"Alright, so what do you want us to do?" Kouga demanded crossing his arms.

"U-um..."

"You are the leader here," Darui pointed out softly. "You have plenty of options. What do you want?"

Yukiko stuttered for a moment finding it difficult to actually make a decision. Moments later, she heard another screech from the hollow and one appeared leaping out between the three and grabbing hold of Darui before rushing off.

"Darui!" Kouga shouted reaching for his sword to assist his friend.

Before he could move, however, a second one popped out and caught him along his back making him collapse in pain.

"Kouga, are you alright?" Yukiko squeaked fearfully. He muttered a few curses under his breath which signaled to her he'd live. Finding him to be hurt but alright, she focused her attention on the Hollow that was carrying Darui off. Then she dashed forward, making it in front of the Hollow before releasing a Hado # 4 directly into its face forcing it to drop the soul reaper.

She managed to catch him and return to Kouga's side as she slowly forced himself into a standing position. "Nice going," he grudgingly complimented as she handing the injured soul reaper over.

"Kouga," her voice was far more steady than she expected but didn't dwell on it. "I need you to take Darui back to Soul Society. Get him to squad 4, he'll need it to survive." She pulled out her sword and opened the gate before turning to him. He was looking at her with surprise and all signs of doubt had vanished. "Make sure you alert the Captain to our predicament. Be sure to tell him we have two Hollows here, not one, and that two of our own are probably down. We'll needed assistance if those Hollows are to be stopped."

He stood frozen in place for several moments staring at her as if she was a complete stranger.

"What are you waiting for?" she demanded. "If you don't move now Darui is going to die."

He nodded having been startled out of his surprise and rushed through the gate. Once he was gone she turned and dashed off to where she'd last felt the two reiatsus spike. When she arrived, she could see both soul reapers sprawled on the ground struggling to return to their feet and obtain their blades.

She made it to Harris' side first and wrapped an arm around him, ignoring his comments of surprise and apology, and grabbed his sword before helping him over to Sakagi. He was worse for wear unable to even sit up on his own power. Blood spilled from wounds on his chest, arms, and head. Gently, she set Harris down next to him where he collapsed again, the wound in his legs making it impossible to stay standing.

"What happened?" she asked them calmly keeping her eyes and ears out for the hollows.

"I was attacked while trying to return," Harris tried to explain. "It caught my legs and side before disappearing."

"I found him shortly after...and tried to help him," Sakagi added panting for air. "But before I could move him anywhere it came again...and this time it took a bite out of me and chucked me to the other side." He had a fit of coughing at this point, blood slipping down his chin, so Harris continued.

"We both pulled out our blades to fight it off, but there was actually two of them," he explained slowly. "They came at us from different angles again and again, cutting deeper and doing more damage until we could no longer hold our swords. Then they just vanished."

"Where...are Kouga, and Darui?" Sakagi gasped.

"They returned to Soul Society," Yukiko explained pulling out a few bandages from her bag. She knew a thing or two about wrapping an injury even if she really didn't understand how to help it. "The Hollows attacked us as well and Darui was injured so I had Kouga take him to squad 4 and call reinforcements. It shouldn't be much longer."

Before she could begin wrapping their wounds to stop the bleeding, the Hollows appeared once again leaping at the group from opposite directions. Yukiko quickly got to her feet having heard them coming and knocked them back using her reiatsu. "You two stay here and try to keep from moving too much, it'll only make the bleeding worse. I'll keep them busy until help arrives." She glanced back at them and smiled as reassuring as she could manage it. "I won't let them touch you again."

With that said, she pulled out her blade and released it sending blasts of wind in all direction. She waited, listening to the wind until she heard the telltale scream and moved her fan just in time to block the attack from one of the Hollows. She held it in place keeping the beast from drawing any closer. Then bringing the other in front of her, the wind it created cutting deeply into the Hollow's chest.

It shrieked in pain and darted off disappearing once more. She took a deep breath and waited, knowing no amount of worrying would bring them back any sooner or allow her to figure out where or when they would reappear. All at once she heard both wail and realized they were aiming for her helpless comrades.

She dove toward them making it just in time to block one attack and throw up the other fan to block the one from the other direction. She and the two injured soul reapers were trapped between the two Hollows who began scrabbling at the blade attempting to reach the holder. They pushed harder and harder at her from both sides until one of her arms bent a little giving the Hollow it was holding enough momentum forward to catch her side with its flailing limbs.

Yukiko grunted in pain and felt the second Hollow claw at her arms and legs tearing into her flesh. In a last ditch effort, she released her reiatsu in a whirl shoving her enemies in either direction where they vanished once again.

Yukiko collapsed to the ground, her sleeves in tatters and blood dripping from her side. "It won't be long," she gasped, tears sliding down her cheeks slowly. "We'll make it...we'll make it." She glanced down at Harris and Sakagi who had both lost so much blood that they'd fully collapsed being unable to move any longer. "I promise...we'll make it. Just hang on...a little longer."

She panted heavily feeling her vision go in and out of focus, hoping to feel the moment when their rescuers would arrive. Instead, she heard the howls again and saw to her horror both Hollows diving at the three of them. She tried to raise her fans to defend them, but her arms were all but useless. She could feel the tears slide faster down her cheeks and drip on the ground, mixing with the pooling blood.

"No...I won't...I won't let anyone else die!" she shrieked throwing herself over the two immobile men.

** * End Scene ***

Kensei paused again at this point knowing where it had gone. Somehow in her desperate act to save her comrades, she'd managed to form a sustainable barrier with her wind reiatsu. In doing so she kept the two Hollows at bay long enough for him and Mashiro to arrive and then enough to force him to use his own reiatsu and cancel out hers in order to get in.

He'd seen the state they were all in and could remember the look of sheer relief in her eyes when she saw he was there. She managed to save them all from Hollows that anyone else would have lost to without any proper warning.

He glanced over the paperwork again finding it fascinating that she'd mentioned hearing them, but the others did not. They claimed to have no warning whatsoever. How did she hear it?

Scanning the five documents one more time he noticed there was a single comment from Harris and Sakagi at the very end.

"_Having only seen and heard of her timidity and lack of confidence and control, I never thought I'd see her look so calm and collected during a crisis," _Harris wrote. Each letter of his fancy scroll was filled with long flowing strokes making it a little difficult to read. _"Her words of encouragement and surety that help would arrive in time made me believe that as injured as we were, we were going to survive."_

"_I'd like to say that I didn't need that runt's help but I'd be lying,"_ Sakagi wrote. His writing was rushed and scrunched together. More than likely he wanted to get it out before he lost the nerve. _"I was irritated at first needing to be saved by such a weakling, but watching her hold both those Hollows off with those girly fans of hers and then cry while covering us with her own body...I'll never say that chick is weak again. I can't think of a single person that would have stayed there to die just to keep us from getting hit again. I mean, with as much blood as we lost we were as good as dead anyway...but that didn't matter. She stuck around and faced those bastards with more balls than half of Sereitei. I owe her my life..."_

Kensei smirked to himself as he read the comments again. Not only had she managed to save their lives, but she turned their doubt into the utmost respect. She'd managed to keep her head, keep control, and even hand out orders left and right like a real leader should. This should allow squad 2 a chance to relax for a change. Maybe he'd finally get a little break. At the very least they should postpone the final decision...he'd just have to make sure she was ready for it.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Yukiko's desperation to save her comrades paid off as all survived and she gained some trust and respect. Even Kensei's proud of how her mission went despite her need to be bailed out. What's next for Yukiko? Stay tuned to find out. And please review :D.<p> 


	5. Determination

Chapter 5: Determination

Yukiko's one mission into the human world made a huge difference on how the rest of the squad viewed her. A few took the information about the little escapade as proof that she couldn't handle the demands of her title. However, the rest heard the tale directly from the four who accompanied her and realized just how strong and dedicated she was to those weaker than her.

Neither opinion changed the mind of Kensei about having her continue to lead missions, however, though he could tell after each one that she hadn't quite recovered mentally from her near loss of her entire group. He noticed that although she appeared to be happy and well in front of his men, she didn't sleep much and he'd often find her returning to her room late at night in an exhausted state.

Then one night he found out why.

It was late and most the other members were asleep as he strolled through the grounds. He'd been intending to go to bed himself, but with Mashiro taking up most of it he decided to kill some time by taking a walk. As he went he noticed a spike in a certain someone's reiatsu and went to see what was up.

He followed it to the training area where he saw Yukiko swinging her released blade around with as much force as she could muster. Her eyes were set in determination and she was sweating heavily.

He watched her for a time realizing that she wasn't acting like her usual self and decided he should probably end it. "Another sleepless night, Yukiko?" he asked walking towards her. His sudden question caused her to jump and a small amount of energy shoot out towards him. He easily deflected it having already anticipated it being a possibility.

"Captain Muguruma! No I...just thought I'd get a little extra practice in," she argued shaking her head. She'd already sheathed her sword. "W-what brings you out here this late...if you don't mind my asking?"

"Mashiro wouldn't leave making it impossible for me to sleep," he answered easily as he took a seat on the ground beside her and motioned for her to do the same. "I swear she makes it her personal goal in life to torment me."

"Heh...I doubt that," Yukiko replied with a small smile. She slowly sat down next to him and pulled her knees up to her chin. Somehow that position always made her feel better.

Kensei shrugged as he looked his 10th seat over. She was a bundle of nerves, though she was at least conversing more normally with him now. He supposed that after saving her from the hollows she found him to be less frightening. Somehow that thought made him a bit happier than he thought necessary.

"So...you're still beating yourself up over those four nearly dying," he guessed. She froze and her arms tightened around her knees, but she didn't answer. "You should quit. It wasn't your fault and not one of them thinks less of you over what happened. If anything they actually respect you now."

Yukiko's eyes began to water slightly as she nuzzled into her own knees. "I don't know why. I almost got them killed by splitting up like that," she muttered softly, the tears pooling even more. "I should have picked out there was more than one from the start. I could hear them but I second guessed myself. The report said there was only one so I told myself I was wrong. I could have prevented the whole thing!"

Kensei stared off into the night as he listened to her rant about her own incompetence. He'd never heard her talk so much in one sitting before meaning she either really needed to vent or she was finally opening up to him. "It was your first mission. Of course you're going to doubt yourself. It happens to everyone."

"Did...did it happen to you?"

Kensei thought it over for a moment and shook his head. "Naw, but that's because I was a cocky little bastard that thought too much about my own skills to do that." He thought he heard her laugh at his answer and glanced over at her to see her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining with concealed amusement.

"So...should I think so highly of myself as well?" she asked, though her question was slightly muffled.

"No. I'll bet you couldn't do that anyway," he laughed. "You're only going to get over this by practicing. And how do you practice leading?" She didn't answer and instead stared at the ground. "You get out there and do it, kid."

She cringed a bit at this and her hold on herself tightened again. "I can't...I'll only get them all killed. That's...that's what always happens."

"You honestly think that too don't you," he muttered finding the notion irritating. "You know they don't."

"Who?"

"The four that went with you," he explained seeing her look up at him again. "Do you know why they've gone with you on every mission since then?"

"Because you told them to," she muttered darkly.

"Tch, hardly. I haven't picked out your team since that first mission. Those four have been volunteering for it." Her eyes widened at this and began to water once more. "Yeah, those boys'll follow you anywhere. Don't take that for granted."

Yukiko stared off into the night thinking about what he'd said and wondering if he was being honest. "Did they...really volunteer?" As she asked, she slowly lowered her legs and looked up into the sky.

"Heh, go ask them yourself," he chuckled before getting to his feet. He was surprised she'd unfurled from her ball. He watched her lips turn up in a smile before her eyes slid shut and she slumped over. At first he thought she was just tired from her work out earlier, but he looked her over and saw that she wasn't breathing right.

Leaning down next to her he saw the flush in her cheeks had grown darker. Her forehead was burning to the touch and when he said her name there was no response. Just perfect...she'd worked herself until a fever set in. Idiot.

He gently lifted her into his arms and brought her back to the barracks where Kouga was on watch duty. He saw his captain and 10th seat come in and jumped in surprise. "Ume! Is she alright Captain?" he asked running up to them.

"Just a fever. She worked herself too hard," the captain answered with a shrug. "Get her to bed and make sure she stays there."

"Yes sir." He took her from his captain's arms and quickly left holding onto her tightly.

Kensei waited until the two had vanished before going to his own quarters and taking out the file containing the background information on his 10th seat he'd requested months before. He'd changed his mind once he got it and decided it was none of his business what happened to her in the past. Now that she'd worked herself until she passed out though, he realized he'd better understand why she felt she was such a source of disaster for those around her.

* * *

><p>Hours later he'd finished reading the report and closed the folder. Now it at least made more sense as to why this was happening in the first place. Turned out she'd suffered through loss like this before which made it all the more difficult to get her to believe that it wouldn't happen again.<p>

As he sat pondering over what to do about her little issue, he suddenly heard a knock at his door and he called for the person to enter. The door slid open to reveal Sakagi standing in the doorway completely out of breath.

"What is it now?" Kensei asked sure he wasn't going to like the answer.

"It's Ume! She's disappeared," Sakagi explained quickly. "Kouga is out looking for her right now with Harris and Darui, but we can't even feel her reiatsu anywhere."

Kensei swore under his breath as he got to his feet and woke his lieutenant. "Join up with them and keep looking," he ordered while Mashiro tiredly rubbed her eyes. "If any of you locate her let me know right away." Sakagi saluted that he understood before taking off.

As soon as he was gone, Kensei got Mashiro to follow him out the door and heading towards the border between Seireitei and the Rukongai districts. "Where are we going, Kensei?" she yawned.

"Looks like Yukiko took off," he answered. His words woke her up in an instant.

"Where would she go?"

"I've got an idea, but I don't know for sure," he answered in irritation. "If she did I'm going to pound some sense into that scrawny head of hers."

Mashiro giggled a bit at his declaration but for once it didn't bother him. He was too focused on locating his lost squad member before she attracted any unwanted attention.

At the speed they were going it didn't take the pair long to reach the edge of the Seireitei and once they did Kensei immediately began searching for his subordinate's reiatsu. He was just about to forget it and keep on moving until he did locate it, when Mashiro shouted in excitement.

"I feel her!" she exclaimed pointing off towards one of the higher numbered districts. Exactly where he thought she'd be. "Let's go, Kensei!" She grabbed a hold of her captain's sleeve and pulled him forward only thinking about spending some time with her friend.

Kensei moved along with her finally sensing the energy as well. He was relieved to find that it didn't feel like she was in trouble. Yet.

* * *

><p>The sun was just peaking out over the horizon as Yukiko sank to her knees on a small hill far out into the Rukongai. Before her were five grave markers and below the hill just out of sight was a small building where children were beginning to emerge from, all going without noticing her presence.<p>

Her breath was ragged and her face sweaty from the fever as she looked over the markers. "Hey guys. I know I'm probably the last one you wanted to see right now...but I had to come," she whispered softly. "I just wanted to show you that I've gotten stronger. I don't accidentally hurt people any more. I've actually got a hold of my own power. I even joined the Gotei 13 and made it as a seated officer."

She paused after this to take a few deep breaths to keep from passing out. A part of her berated herself for not waiting until she was better, but the rest knew she had to take care of this now.

"I did screw up a little while ago and nearly got my whole team killed," she continued wiping the sweat off her brow. "None of them died though, and surprisingly they all like me more. Knowing you you'd probably yell at me for even trying...telling me I was an idiot to believe I could do this job." She paused again feeling it increasingly difficult to stay awake. "Well, I'll tell you right now. For the first time in my life I feel like I can really do this. My captain and those four in my team think so too. So for them, this time I won't be giving up. I'm going to actually be trying. I won't back down anymore. I'm going to prove to myself and everyone who ever put me down...that I can really protect the people I care about."

After that little declaration. She took another few moments to allow her words to sink in before getting to her feet and slowly stumbling her way back down the hill towards the plum orchard that was situated next to the small home.

Just before she reached it, she suddenly heard the cry of a hollow on the slight breeze. Moments later she felt it appear and heard the scream of the people who'd left the small building. Giving herself a small slap to get her head on straight, she shot off towards the screams and arrived just in time to see a large hollow lift one of the children into the air.

"Help me!" she screamed trying to get out of the monster's grip.

The bystanders all called out to her in anguish knowing there was nothing they could do to save her. Hearing their cries, Yukiko steeled herself as adrenaline started pumping through her veins eliminating the fatigue brought on by the fever. Then she lifted her hand and fired off a Hado # 31 without any incantation into the arm forcing the hollow to drop the child.

After the child fell, she fled to the safety of her makeshift family cowering in the arms of one of the adults. They looked on as the hollow turned its attention on Yukiko who slowly pulled her sword from its sheath. "So, its you again," she muttered darkly. "Didn't you learn your lesson the last time I beat you up?"

Its eyes widened when it recognized the energy coming off of her. "You're that brat with the crazy wind," it growled. "I've been waiting for this moment. I'm going to show you why brats should just sit back and let themselves be eaten."

"You won't be doing any more eating here, hollow," Yukiko muttered, her eyes shrouded in shadows. She brandished her blade as she shunpoed behind the creature and aimed for the back of the head like she'd been trained.

It threw its hand up in time to block the death blow but she still cut deep into the arm. The monster howled in pain as it attempted to counter attack, but she easily dodged it and cut through its middle, drawing a large amount of blood. Unfortunately it was still alive, though moving slower now that it was injured.

Knowing it was almost done, she turned to finish the job but suddenly collapsed to her knees finding it impossible to move. Her eyes widened as she realized her fever had reached a peak and she could no longer swing her sword, much less lift it.

Seeing its chance, the hollow attacked sending the young soul reaper flying into a tree with a well aimed kick. She dropped her sword at the impact and struggled to lift herself into a seated position trying to find the energy to use kido. But to no avail.

The hollow laughed knowing she was in no condition to actually fight and finding it to be a perfect situation for him. He reached down lifting her off the ground with little resistance and chucked her across the clearing into the hill where the graves sat. Her breath was coming in gasps now as she struggled just to keep her eyes open.

"Now, you little brat, I'm going to feast on that delicious smelling soul of yours," the hollow laughed picking her back up and bringing her to his mouth.

Yukiko grit her teeth as she tried once more to summon the strength to fight back, but nothing happened. She was going to die, right here in front of the friends she'd failed to save. Killed by the same hollow that ended their lives. In a way it was fitting and she finally allowed her eyes to slide close as a tear slid down her cheek. She never got the chance to show anyone her new found determination. Never got to know how strong she could become or how many friends she'd be able to gain. It was all...for nothing.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Talk about poor timing. Yukiko's finally found the drive to keep pushing only to be stopped in her tracks by a hollow. Will she be able to make it out alive? Stay tuned to find out and please review. Any constructive criticism is welcome as it makes me a better writer.<p> 


	6. Growth

Chapter 6: Growth

Kensei was just seeing a hill off in the distance with an orchard and a building at its base when he felt the sudden spike of his subordinate's reiatsu mingled with a hollow's. He knew Mashiro felt it as well because like him, she suddenly sped up. When they reached the hill, they saw the hollow in question lifting up the weak and motionless soul reaper to its gaping maw.

"Oh no you don't!" Mashiro shouted, exploding forward in a burst of speed.

Kensei watched his second in command rush after her and knew she wouldn't make it in time, so he pulled out his sword and released a slash of wind that sliced through the hand holding his subordinate. The attack forced the hollow to drop his prey right into Mashiro's waiting arms. Then she dashed out of harms way keeping her friend safe.

As soon as the two were out of reach, the squad 9 captain cut the hollow down with one swing of his sword. Once that was taken care of he walked over to the tree Mahiro had stopped at. Yukiko was lying on the ground breathing irregularly. Her face was bright red and she was covered in sweat.

"What the hell were you thinking coming all the way out here in your condition?" he demanded softly.

"Kensei, don't be so hard on her!" Mashiro scolded as she rounded on him. "She can't take it."

She paused when Yukiko weakly grabbed her sleeve. "It's...okay, Mashiro," she panted. Then slowly she pushed herself up enough to sit, leaning against the tree for support. Looking up at her Captain she smiled. "I made...a decision," she tried to explain. "I'm not going...to let the past bother me anymore. But, in order...to go through with it, I needed...to tell them."

"Tell who?" Kensei asked kneeling down beside her.

She weakly lifted her arm and pointed at the hill where the stones were still visible. "They were...the ones who died because of me," she muttered between breaths. "I had to...make the promise to them."

"Why the hell couldn't you wait until you were feeling better?" Kensei demanded shaking his head.

She smiled up at him. "Because...I didn't want to lose my nerve."

Kensei sighed shaking his head once more before lifting his subordinate into his arms where she promptly passed out. Then he glanced at his Lieutenant to tell her they were going to leave and saw her eyes were sparkly with awe.

"What?"

"Awe, Kensei's such a softy," she giggled. "Is it 'cause she did something really cool?"

"No. I'm saving the tirade for when she wakes up," he responded gruffly. "She's not getting off that easily."

Mashiro giggled again and continued to heckle him about going soft, which he pointedly ignored. Instead he kept looking at the girl in his arms who, despite running a very high fever, was smiling as she slept. He had to admit, her declaration to change for the better really caught him off guard. Now, he wanted to see what sort of person she'd end up being when it was over.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks had her training in the morning with which ever member of the Combat Squad was available and cleaning the entire squad area in the afternoon. Kensei was making good on his threat of her not getting off easily. She did everything he asked though with no complaint and every once in awhile he'd catch her outside at night training some more.<p>

He made sure during these moments she wasn't pushing herself too hard and she would promise not to stay up too late.

After her few weeks of punishment she returned to her missions, only this time there were a lot more members willing to join her on missions. He was a little surprised by this but supposed that seeing her try so hard and not freak out when people approached her had a positive affect on the way the squad viewed her.

One month after her collapse and she was making good on her promise to grow stronger. He once again caught her training late at night and went to see how she was doing himself. As he drew closer she seemed to notice and looked around catching sight of him. "Good, she's being more perceptive," he thought proudly. To his surprise, when she saw him she smiled and motioned for him to join her.

He mentally shrugged and went over to where she was standing curious to see what she wanted. "I'm glad I caught you," she murmured excitedly. "I wanted to try showing you before I showed it off in training tomorrow."

"Show me what?" he asked curiously.

She just smiled and had him stand behind her. Then she took a deep calming breath and slowly started raising her reiatsu. When it was at a certain strength, she quickly jerked her hands down then had them raise up over her head. As her hands lifted, a barrier made entirely of wind rose as well, completely surrounding them.

When she was finished, she turned towards him and grinned again. "See? I figured out how to do it on purpose," she explained feeling very proud of herself. "It took me weeks just to figure out how I did it the first time. Then I had to try to recreate the feeling on my own. It wasn't easy, but I did it."

"How about that," he muttered slowly. "Not bad kid. Keep up the good work, but remember, no collapsing."

She beamed at him again and quickly lowered the barrier. "Sure thing, Captain," she murmured happily. "I had just finished anyway and wanted to show you. Have a good night." With that she turned on her heel and scampered off smiling from ear to ear.

Kensei shook his head amused at just how much she'd changed since she'd arrived. "They can't complain now," he muttered to himself. He took a short walk around the barracks to cool himself off and by time for Mashiro to move. When he was finished he returned to his room only to find his Lieutenant had fallen off his bed. "Perfect," he thought.

He was just starting to change when he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a messenger. He sighed and turned to see what the man wanted.

"I apologize for the late hour," he greeted stiffly. "But this was an urgent message from Central 46 concerning the matter with the 10th seat of squad 9."

Kensei glared at him and took the message tearing it open while the messenger vanished. He quickly read the letter growing more and more irritated as he went. When he'd finished he crumpled up the letter and tossed it into his trash. This whole thing was bullshit.

"Kensei, what's wrong?" Mashiro called out tiredly from her space on the floor. She always did have a sixth sense for when he was pissed off...except when it was directed at her that is.

"They may still come for her," he grumbled plopping down on the floor and rubbing his forehead. "I won't have any say in it."

Mashiro sat up quickly at this and her jaw dropped in shock. "They're still coming for Ume?" she demanded. "No, I'll fight them. They won't take Ume!"

"If that's what they decide there'll be nothing we can do about it," he muttered darkly. They sat in silence for a time before his eyes suddenly lit up and he started writing something on a piece of paper and sealing it.

"Oh, Kensei's got an idea," Mashiro crooned. "What's it this time?"

"You'll see," he told her with a smirk. "There's no way any of them will vote "yes" with this."

* * *

><p>The next morning Kensei was waiting in his office with a stack of papers on his desk that he was sorting through and Mashiro rolling around his room in boredom. He'd come up with a near full proof plan. Now, he just needed to get it started without her noticing anything.<p>

When Yukiko finally entered his room she was smiling and had a bounce in her step. Her delivery of the new move in training must have gone over well. Outside he could see that her four tagalongs were right there, probably to give their support...or to be the first to volunteer for her next mission.

"You wanted to see me, Captain Muguruma?" she asked easily. Seemed she'd finally managed to fully get over her fear of him.

"I've got a new assignment for you," he told her easily holding out the envelope. She took it without question and looked it over curiously. "I need you to take that directly to Head Captain Yammamoto."

She nodded cheerfully and turned to leave. Seconds later she stopped mid stride, her entire body freezing up. "Th-the H-Head Captain?" she stuttered looking for clarification. He nodded and she swallowed hard looking down at the envelope again. "Y-you mean, the Captain of Squad 1, G-Genryusai Yammamoto?"

"Yeah, now hop to it."

"B-but, I-I've never even been to squad 1," she spluttered. She didn't want to argue with her Captain but it didn't make sense for her to take anything to another squad. She didn't think she was important enough.

"It needs to get done and you don't have anything for the time being," he explained. "Besides I've got a way to work on that non-existent self esteem of yours."

She swallowed again and asked a question she was sure she didn't want the answer to. "And that would be...?"

"Since you finally seem to be getting comfortable here it's high time you branched out," he told her seriously. "You're not going to get anywhere here unless you're familiar with people from other squads. Especially the other Captains and top level seats. So for the next two weeks I'm going to be sending you to each Captain in turn to deliver a message. Got it?"

Yukiko's already pale skin went even whiter at this declaration and she slowly turned around and headed out the door without a word. It was only after she was gone that Kensei realized he'd forgotten one more rule and went after her. As he approached the door he could already hear the foursome already offering to go with her.

Without a second thought he threw the door open startling the group and looked them all over carefully with a severe stare. "Oh and these trips to other squads, you've got to do them all alone," he ordered firmly leaving no room for argument.

He watched her jaw drop with mild satisfaction and closed the door going back to his desk. Oh yeah, this would do wonders on her self-esteem. Heh, talk about getting two birds with one stone.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Oh dear, Yukiko's being forced to visit all the squad captains. What purpose does Kensei really have for sending her and how will she handle each encounter? Stay tuned to find out. Each squad will get their very own chapter so enjoy it. Please remember to R&amp;R.<p> 


	7. Genryusai Yammamoto

Chapter 7: Genryusai Yammamoto

Fear.

A complex emotion that Yukiko was more than familiar with thanks to the issues she'd had to suffer through her entire life. She was afraid of a lot of things, both rational and irrational. Many of the irrational ones had been quelled as of late thanks to her current Captain and squad members, but not all.

As she continued on her way toward the squad 1 area, she could feel the fear of the Head Captain rising up inside of her. It didn't help that she'd heard rumors since her academy days that told of how just his presence could burn a person to ashes if he really wanted to, or that he'd once caused an unseated member of his own squad to go insane just for looking at him wrong.

Her four friends from her own squad tried telling her that all those rumors were completely bogus and that he was actually a pretty cool guy, though they did warn her not to speak disrespectfully. He could still be a terrifying man when he wanted to be.

Yukiko was so wrapped up in these thoughts, and in trying to squash her own fears, that she didn't notice when she entered the squad 1 area. Not until she ran into the unseated members on patrol that is.

"Hey you!" one of the patrolling squad members called out.

Yukiko flinched and turned to look at him and his partner. "Y-yes?" she stuttered nervously.

"What squad are you from?" the second one demanded.

"S-Squad 9..." she squeaked.

"What reason do you have for entering squad 1?" The first one was holding the hilt of his sword in a threatening manner.

"I-I...I'm delivering...a message to the H-Head Captain," she stuttered pulling out the letter from her uniform to prove it.

The two shared a look before returning their gaze to her. "Just hand it to me and I'll deliver it," the second ordered holding out his hand.

Yukiko shook her head and pulled it close to her. "I can't," she tried to explain. "I was...ordered to bring it...to the Head Captain directly."

"If that's the case, why didn't your captain just send a Hell Butterfly?" the first asked in confusion.

"I don't know," she sighed feeling her body shake with her pent up fear.

"Alright, well why don't I go with you, just to show you the way," the second suggested.

Yukiko was all for having a guide as she had no idea where the Head Captain's office would be. So after agreeing to the suggestion, she and the unseated squad 1 member headed off to an enormous building smack dab in the middle of Squad 1. She swallowed hard the closer they got feeling the fear inside continue to grow with each step she took.

As the pair drew closer, they were met by an older man with slicked back white hair and a thin white mustache. He looked the pair over curiously before the unseated member saluted and explained why she was there. With the explanation finished, the older man dismissed the unseated member and turned to Yukiko.

"I am Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe," he murmured as an introduction. "If you give me the message I'll make sure it gets to the Head Captain."

Yukiko froze in her tracks and was about to comply when her captain's words returned to her and she shook her head reluctantly. "N-No...I have to deliver it myself," she murmured, her hands shaking at her side. "I-I promise I won't be long...so please let me finish."

She slowly looked up at the Lieutenant and waited for his verdict. He scrutinized her for a moment longer before asking, "What's your name?"

"Y-Yukiko."

He nodded slowly seeming to recognize the name, though she had no idea why he would. "Very well. Come with me."

She breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't try to take it from her by force, not like she really expected him to, and followed him inside and down a long hallway toward a pair of enormous double doors.

"Wait here until you're given permission to enter," he told her before entering the room beyond.

Yukiko shifted nervously as she waited unsure of what to expect from the Head Captain as all the rumors she'd heard kept replaying in her head. Then after a time she heard a deep, calm voice ordering her to enter. Her fear skyrocketed as she started moving forward and eased the door open before entering.

No matter how many times she tried to envision what the Head Captain looked like, she never expected him to look so old and almost frail. Still, his appearance did nothing to ease her fears as she could sense an immense power coming from him. He stood in the center of the vast room with a wooden cane in one hand as he observed her entrance.

"What is your name, rank, and squad number?" he asked in his deep, commanding voice.

Yukiko nearly feinted just from the look he gave her, but she managed to calm down enough to answer. "Y-Yukiko. I-I'm the 10th seat...of Squad 9," she answered, her voice much higher than normal.

"I see," he murmured, nodding in understanding. Then he held out his free hand, still inspecting her with his dark eyes that were surrounded by his long white eyebrows. "Bring me your message."

Yukiko nodded slowly and started walking toward him, each step she took making her want to turn and run. Eventually she reached him and held out the envelope to him with a shaking hand.

He took it and deftly tore it open before reading what was written without dismissing her. When he finished, he released what almost sounded like a chuckle before handing it off to his Lieutenant to read. Then he turned to Yukiko who had no idea what he was going to say and silently stared at her.

The young 10th seat continued to look from him, to his Lieutenant and back, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her heart beat continue to speed up.

After several intense moments of silence, the Head Captain released a puff of air before turning to his desk and walking over to it. "You're free to go, miss Yukiko," he told her. "You best get started if you want to make it back to your squad before it becomes too late."

Yukiko nodded silently unsure of what just happened. She gave a respectful salute and bow, as she wasn't sure which was more appropriate, and left the building at a normal pace. The moment she was outside, she released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and took off as fast as she could. The more distance she put between herself and the Head Captain the better.

Still, she did feel rather proud of herself. As far as she'd heard the Head Captain was the most terrifying Captain in the Gotei 13 and she'd just survived the encounter. Suddenly, the idea of meeting the rest didn't seem quite as scary.

* * *

><p>It was dark when Yukiko finally managed to make it back to her squad, but her night wasn't over yet. She still needed to report in to her Captain, though she had no idea how she was going to explain what happened. Not an easy task when she didn't get it herself.<p>

Still, she had to at least try and show her captain she was gaining something from the experience.

She was on her way down the hall to her captain's office when she found her path blocked. Looking up she saw her four friends who all greeted her in their own way. "Hey, glad to see you're still in one piece," Kouga joked.

"Did you actually find the guts to stay long enough to finish the delivery?" Sakagi asked. He almost sounded impressed.

"We were getting kind of worried when it started getting dark and you still weren't back," Darui expressed with a sigh of relief.

"I think what we're all trying to say is, how did it go?" Harris finished off. He was as worried about her as Darui, but realized that she was probably drained and having the chance to vent may allow her to alleviate some of her stress.

She took a deep breath at his suggestion and explained to them what happened starting from her arrival at the Squad 1 area. Taking another deep breath after her explanation, she looked to each of them to see what they thought.

Kouga's eyes were wide and he was taking several breaths in between attempts at trying to say something. Sakagi's expression said he was grudgingly impressed she was able to stand in the presence of the Head Captain without passing out. He'd heard of people being rendered completely immobile if not unconscious after meeting him before. Darui's jaw was hanging from his face and trying very hard to reach the floor, and Harris just shook his head not knowing what else to do.

After a time they were able to get over their surprise and Darui pulled her into a comforting hug. "Well, at least the worst is over," he expressed slowly. "None of the other Captains are as terrifying."

"Not in the same way at least," Sakagi muttered under his breath.

"So, which one do you have to see tomorrow?" Kouga asked trying hard not to let on how nervous he felt.

"I think...squad 2," Yukiko murmured feeling exhaustion beginning to set in.

"Ah, Captain Shihoin," Harris acknowledged. "Well, honestly she shouldn't be so bad."

"Are you nuts? I've heard rumors her demands are way over the top," Kouga cut in. "She is a feakin' Noble after all."

"Right, Captain Shihoin is head of the Shihoin family," Darui muttered nervously as he tightened his hold on the younger squad member. "

As the three discussed the squad 2 captain, Sakagi got fed up with it and pushed between them all so he was face to face with Yukiko before placing a hand on her head and directing her gaze toward his. "Look, the point is as long as you keep in mind her status and treat her with the respect deserving of a noble you'll be fine," he declared firmly. "Say what you're going to say clearly and concisely, no stuttering, and get to the point. Nobles don't have all day to deal with lower class citizens like us."

Yukiko nodded before telling each of them goodnight and heading to her room. She'd get her report written and turn it in in the morning. She didn't really feel like seeing her Captain that night, not with how drained she felt.

Once her report was written and she was settling into bed, she started sorting through all the questions she'd been asked during her first outer squad visit. A part of her felt a little more confident, knowing what she would be required to say and she went over her answers several time in her head before finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: That's one down and eleven more to go for Yukiko. She managed to make it through meeting the head captain but there's no guarantee she'll be able to handle meeting the rest. At least she has the support of her four friends to help her through it and give her advice. Still the question remains, what's the point in sending her to meet each one and what is her captain not telling her? Keep reading to find out, and please remember to review as these let me know if I'm doing alright or if I need to make some serious changes.<p> 


	8. Shihoin's Head

Chapter 8: Shihoin's Head

By the time Yukiko awoke the next morning, she had a plan fully worked out. She'd gone over in her mind the night before everything she'd been required to do or say during her visit of squad 1 and she was certain she knew how to push through her next visit.

So with a full belly, a confident mind, and an excited spirit, she stepped into the office of her Captain awaiting her next set of orders. "You're here, good," Kensei greeted as he shuffled through his papers until he found an envelope to hand over to her. "Same as before. I need you to take this directly to the Captain of squad 2."

Yukiko nodded as she took the envelope. "Yes sir, I won't let you down," she replied with a slight bow.

"You seem a little more confident today," he noted curiously. "What happened to all that nervous energy from yesterday?"

"Well, to be honest Captain I'm not certain," she answered after a moment of thought. "I am still nervous, but after making it through meeting with the Head Captain yesterday I feel a lot more prepared."

"I suppose it helps that no one else in Seireitei is as frightening," he guessed with amusement.

Yukiko blushed lightly and nodded. "Well, that too," she admitted. "Anyway, I should probably head out." He agreed as she bid farewell, bowing once more, and left.

After she was gone, Mashiro skipped into the office and draped herself across Captain Muguruma's shoulders. "Hey, Kensei, where's Yukiko?" she asked curiously. "I haven't been able to spar with her in ages!"

"It's only been one day," Kensei corrected as he ignored her location. "She's off visiting squad 2."

"You mean Yoruichi?" Mashiro asked excitedly. "Can't I go too? I want to spar with Yoruichi again."

"Forget it. She's got to do this alone remember," he grumbled quickly losing all patience for his Lieutenant. "You going isn't going to do her any favors." Mashiro pouted for a bit but she didn't argue. Luckily for him, she seemed to understand what was at stake...too bad she couldn't for other situations.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Yukiko came to a stop on the other side of Seireitei and bent over her knees to catch her breath. This time she'd sprinted nearly the entire way hoping to get the meeting done and over with before it became dark.<p>

As soon as she could breath again she looked around her surroundings and continued on hoping to run into someone who could show her to the squad 2 barracks where she was certain she'd locate the Captain. At first, no such person appeared, but then a few minutes into her exploration she was suddenly stopped by a blade pointing at her neck from behind with another pointing at her chest from the front.

"Who are you and what business do you have in squad 2?" the person demanded. Yukiko could easily tell by the mask over the person's mouth that they had to be long to squad 2, maybe even the Onmyouji. In other words, you don't screw with them.

"I-I'm Yukiko," she started answering quickly, though her voice squeaked a bit in fear. "I'm the 10th seat of squad 9 and I've come to deliver a message to the captain of squad 2." As she spoke her voice seemed to be getting stronger. It was a line she'd rehearsed many times in her room before coming after all.

They stayed pointing their weapons at her for a little longer before the one holding a weapon to her throat finally put it away and released her. "You will hand over the message so that I might deliver it," he ordered.

Yukiko immediately shook her head to keep from falling to her initial answer. "I can't do that," she told him seriously. "My orders were to deliver it to Captain Shihoin personally."

The two guards looked at each other and she was worried they weren't going to allow her to continue anyway. Before either of them could formulate a reply of their own, another soul reaper appeared. This one had nape length blond hair, stubble on his chin, and a rather sheepish expression. "Is there something the matter?" he asked. His voice and mannerisms made him seem almost as nervous as Yukiko felt.

"This woman demands to see the captain," the one in front of her explained. "Said her captain ordered she deliver it personally."

"And you are?" the blonde asked good naturedly.

"Yukiko," she replied easily. Somehow he made her feel a lot more at ease. "I'm the 10th seat of squad 9."

"Ah, I see," he exclaimed putting on hand into the other. "In that case don't worry about her. I'll take her to see the captain. She as been wanting to meet this one for awhile after all."

Yukiko felt relieved to hear he was going to lead her to where she needed to go. But something about the way his mouth tilted when their eyes met and the words he'd used made her feel nervous once again. "Thank you," she expressed as the two guards left them alone. "Might I ask your name?"

"I guess I haven't introduced myself have I," he murmured to himself. "Well I am Urahara Kisuke, the 3rd seat of squad 2."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Urahara," Yukiko murmured humbly.

"That's rather formal," he commented. "Hmm...how about just Kisuke."

Yukiko blushed at the suggestion and tried to argue about calling him by his name but he waved off all her complaints and kept moving as if nothing had happened. The young squad 9 member continued to follow him not sure what to make of the talkative and expressive 3rd seat.

He told her she could make herself at home when they reached the barracks, and Yukiko was blown away when she watched the doors open of their own accord. Urahara went on to explain his captain had made it so they had power operated doors and heated floors. She didn't believe the last part until she'd removed her shoes and stepped onto the wooden floor, which warmed her feet.

"This...is amazing," she expressed utterly fascinated by the self-opening doors. She was so enthralled by the sight that she almost missed Urahara's attempt to grab her attention and quickly followed him into a large room. In the center of the room was what appeared to be a low sitting throne, of sorts, with a large cushion that a young woman sat upon. She had long purple hair, dark skin, and dark eyes which looked the new entrant over in curiosity.

"Who's this?" she asked her 3rd seat.

"I'm Yukiko," the younger soul reaper introduced feeling a lot less frightened of this petite woman. "I'm the 10th seat of squad 9 and I have a message for you from my captain." With that she held out the envelope and waited.

At first no one moved as the female captain scrutinized her visitor. "So, you're Yukiko," she murmured getting to her feet and meeting the younger soul reaper face-to-face. She reached forward and took the envelope at which time Yukiko nearly keeled over.

The sudden proximity allowed her to feel the power the woman had and her fear almost instantly went through the roof. So much for not being scared of anyone else. "I-Is there anything else you need...Captain Shihoin?" she asked timidly.

The captain turned her head and raised an eyebrow at her. "What's with the formality?" she demanded placing a hand on the poor girl's head. "Do I look that old to you?"

"N-no! Of course not! I just...it's just that you're a noble and..."

"Forget the noble thing," she grumbled tearing open the note and scanning the words. "It's just Yoruichi to you."

"But, Captain Shihoin..." Yukiko stuttered not certain what to make of the Captain. What kind of noble didn't want to be spoken to respectfully?

She flinched when the Captain suddenly spun around and had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "I did just say to call me Yoruichi, didn't I?" she asked soothingly.

Yukiko nodded silently having lost all nerve required to speak. Yoruichi walked away from her after that and scanned the letter again before laughing and allowing Urahara to look it over. "So, what should I do then?" she mused out loud. "Got it. Kisuke, keep everyone else from interfering. I want to see how this goes." He nodded and left the room. "Alright Yukiko, I want you to flare your energy for me."

"Uh, I don't really understand why you want me to..." she started.

"Don't think, just flare it and keep it flared until I tell you to stop," Yoruichi directed leaning forward in her chair which she had returned to.

Reluctantly Yukiko nodded her understanding. Then she took a deep calming breath and flared her reiatsu. It was surprisingly easy to maintain as she stood there beneath the captain's gaze keeping her energy at full power. It was tiring work and after five minutes of flaring straight she was beginning to feel the affects.

At the ten minutes mark she suddenly felt threatened and jumped backwards to avoid an attack that was directed at her compliments of a young female with nape length black hair and an angry expression. Yoruichi called to the assailant signaling that she was at least known and Yukiko relaxed a little more, though she did not fully drop her guard.

There were a few minutes of exchanged words between the two and moments later the person was sent out of the room with an irritated look that did not seem to match the blush that was apparent on her cheeks.

"Sorry about that, Soi Fon tends to take things a bit too seriously," Yoruichi laughed. "Still you managed to do pretty well. I think I'm satisfied. You can return to your squad now, Yukiko."

"Thank you, Yoruichi," Yukiko replied with a bow. She then turned and left, bidding farewell to the 3rd seat on her way passed.

The moment she was out of the barracks, she booked it back to her own squad managing to make it there just as the sun was setting.

* * *

><p>Once she'd cleaned up and gotten something to eat, she once again met with her four friends and began discussing how her mission went. She told them all about meeting the 3rd seat and how he seemed to be hiding something, though his casual attitude helped her relax despite her nervousness. Then she told them about how the Captain was nothing like how they'd heard. She might have been noble but there was nothing about her attitude and disposition that counted as nobility.<p>

Finally she told about her harrowing fight with the unseated member that attacked her out of nowhere. It happened because she was flaring her reiatsu, at the captain's request, but it still really freaked her out and she couldn't decide if she was permitted to fight the member or if she would be forced to try and ignore it.

After her very long explanation, that had them interrupting her every step of the way to get something clarified, she was able to steer the conversation over to something a bit more interesting. To her at least.

"So then this means you'll be heading over to squad 3 tomorrow right?" Darui asked curiously.

Yukiko nodded. "Yep, and the day after that should be squad 4."

"Basically she's saying that each day will have the next squad in sequential order," Harris summed up quickly.

"Ugh, that's got to be a pain," Kouga groaned. "I mean, Head Captain aside, there are a few captains I wouldn't want to deal with if I could help it."

"Based off of rumors that is," Harris added giving him a look. He really didn't want to frighten Yukiko again. She seemed as if the idea of meeting each of the Captains was growing on her.

"Well, it's not like any of us every actually get the chance to deal with the other squads," Sakagi grumbled.

"True...I guess in that sense I'm kind of jealous," Darui admitted sheepishly.

"Don't be," Yukiko told him seriously. "I've come to the conclusion that our own Captain is the only sane one...well maybe the captain of squad 5 could be considered sane. But so far the others I've met have been...a little too much."

"I hear ya. Just wait till you reach squad 8," Kouga laughed. "With him, just remember to say no."

"No, Captain Shunsui will be relatively easy to handle," Harris disagreed. "Now squad 6 Captain will be a handful."

"Tch, not as much as squad 11," Sakagi scoffed.

"That's for a different reason though," Darui cut in. "Everyone knows squad 11 people are insane anyway."

Yukiko began to sweat a little as the conversation continued. She'd been starting to feel pretty good about her chances, but hearing all this now was making it that much more difficult to want to continue. At least she knew that Captain Unohana from squad 4 would be an easy visit. She'd already met her before so doing so again without being sick would be a nice change of pace.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Well looks like she's made a new friend, sort of, and has completed the second of twelve squads. She's feeling pretty good about the rest too, or at least she was until her friends started talking about all the negative rumors. Jerks. Well at least the worst is behind her and it can only be smooth sailing from here. Right? Stay tuned to see how the rest will turn out and find out why Kensei came up with this idea in the first place. And please remember to R&amp;R...I really like getting feedback from you the readers. Tell me I'm doing alright, or tell me I suck and I need to change it up a bit. Literally any form of feedback would be nice. At least it let's me know people are still reading...<p> 


	9. Sickness and Health

Chapter 9: Sickness and Health

The next morning Yukiko was ready and raring to go. She quickly prepared herself for the journey and was in her captain's office before breakfast. He gave her the envelope she was to deliver and she left without eating anything. She was eager to see the squad 3 captain, and eager to get it over with at the same time.

It didn't take her too long to arrive at the edge of squad 3, but from here she knew she needed to be careful. So she pulled out the map she'd made for herself the night before and started following it along. The last thing she wanted was another squad that thought she was too much of an airhead to find her own way.

It took her a good hour to navigate the area and find the barracks. Thankfully the squad members here seemed a bit more lax than previous as none of them stopped her to ask what she was doing. Apparently she just didn't come off as very threatening.

To her relief, after entering the barracks, she found a squad member who pointed her in the direction of the Captain's office. When she found it, she knocked on the door and was permitted to enter. The man who'd called her in was elderly in appearance, even more so than the Head Captain, and he scrutinized her for a moment before speaking.

"You're not from my squad, who are you?" he asked calmly.

Yukiko took a deep breath and then smiled. "I'm Yukiko, the 10th seat of squad 9," she answered confidently. After doing two other times she was feeling pretty good about it. It helped that this captain gave off the air of kindly grandfather. She naturally felt herself relaxing somehow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Koizumi."

"I see, and you have something for me?" Yukiko nodded and walked forward, handing over the envelope. He took it, tore it open, and read the contents before nodding in acknowledgment. "So, Yukiko, how are you enjoying your time in your squad?"

The young soul reaper was a little surprised by his question but was able to go with it anyway. She explained how nice it was to have someone actually think she could be successful and train her to be so. And she had to admit it was nice to have friends for once. He went on to ask her about different things; her training, her missions, her skills, and what she thought of the squads she'd already been introduced to. She answered everything he asked as clearly as she could while still trying to maintain some sort of respect for the captain.

By the time their discussion was over, Yukiko was certain he would become one of her favorite captains. After all, he wasn't scary, he was a bit over the top with a few of his ideals and when he spoke to her he had a gentle smile that seemed to ease all her worries.

"Oh, one last thing before you go," Koizumi called out. Yukiko paused in her retreat to turn and face him once more. She saw him holding out a box of wrapped candies. "Here, for your time."

Yukiko didn't really feel like eating anything sweet, but she couldn't exactly turn him down either. So resignedly she walked over to his desk and took one of the candies before opening it and popping the small treat into her mouth.

Right away she wanted to spit it out as the flavor was anything but good. Still, it was given to her by a Captain so she bit back her disgust and smiled at him. "Thank you," she murmured with a bow. Then she turned and left.

By the time she was out of the barracks, her desire to simply throw the candy away had dwindled. It wasn't a terrible as she'd previously thought. In fact she thought it was actually gaining some sort of normal candy flavor. Still, it wasn't very good and she would have to remind herself to decline the offer for another should she meet him again.

She traveled back to her own squad at a good pace, moving slower and slower the farther she went. Somehow, even though all she'd done was travel between squads and chat, she was growing tired. Because of her tiredness, it took her an extra couple hours to return to her squad than it should have.

Unfortunately, because of this her friends were worried about her and were waiting for when she returned. "Ume, are you alright?" Darui asked as soon as she stepped into the barracks.

She looked up at the four of them, her eyelids drooping in exhaustion. "Y-yeah," she mumbled after a moment. "I'm just...so tired. I'll be fine though."

"Well of course you're tired, you skipped breakfast you idiot," Sakagi scolded.

"I doubt that's all it is," Harris murmured thoughtfully. "She has been taking on tasks that last all day as of late. It's possible it's just catching up with her."

"Nah, if that was the case she'd be getting a fever again," Kouga sighed shaking his head. "You really should take better care of yourself though."

"Sorry...I think I'm going to go to sleep though," she grunted as she moved passed them and over to her own room. She bid her friends goodnight and walked into her room before passing out on her bed.

"Guys, she really didn't look very good," Darui muttered worriedly. "Should we see if the Captain will ask someone from squad 4 to come by and take a look?"

"I doubt it's anything serious enough to get squad 4 involved," Harris replied encouragingly.

"What is?"

The question startled the four and they turned to see their Captain standing above them with an eyebrow raised. Beside him stood Mashiro with a curious expression on her face.

"C-captain...well she looked exhausted," Darui started.

"She didn't seem like she did anything different from the last two day though," Kouga pointed out.

"She looked like she ate something she shouldn't have," Sakagi finished.

"Well, did she tell you what she did with Koizumi?" Kensei asked folding his arms.

"No...but she was sucking on a candy that she then swallowed when she reached her room," Harris answered after a moments thought.

"Candy?" Kensei and Mashiro exchanged a look at this and he shook his head. "She'll be fine. Just give her time to rest."

Once he was back in his own room with Mashiro, he sat down and got to work sending a message using a hell butterfly.

"Whatcha' doing Kensei?" Mashiro asked curiously.

"Asking Unohana to come out here tomorrow morning. Chances are Yukiko's not going to be able to go anywhere," he muttered as he finished and sent the butterfly off.

"Why's that?"

"Did you ever try one of that guy's candies?"

Mashiro thought about this for a moment before sticking her tongue out. "Yeah, they were really gross. I spat it out."

"Yeah...she managed to finish it," he responded simply.

Mashiro thought this over for a few moments before finally understanding what he was getting at. "I see, you think she's not feeling well because of the candy and it'll get worse by tomorrow," she guessed.

"Exactly," he answered laying back on his bed. "Still, it is surprising she was able to make it all this way and actually finish the thing."

* * *

><p>"Ugh, Captain Unohana. My stomach's on fire."<p>

Yukiko was laying down in her room explaining to the captain, who'd somehow known to come visit her, what was wrong. Turned out after eating the candy given to her by the squad 3 captain she was feeling very ill. She couldn't understand why the candy had such an impact on her and even more surprising was that she'd passed out shortly after making it back to her own squad.

"Well, what did you eat?" Unohana started off as she began gathering a few things together.

"Nothing today," Yukiko answered gritting her teeth. "I did have a piece of candy from the squad 3 captain yesterday though."

"Ah, I see," Unohana murmured as a smile crept onto her face. "Did you eat anything else yesterday?"

"No..." she replied with an embarrassed blush. Yukiko forced herself to sit up and looked up at her. "I guess that might do it but I honestly thought the problem would stem from something I did eat, not from not eating at all."

"I understand," she murmured before walking over to her and placing a hand on her stomach. "I have a few tests I need to run before I know for certain what ails you."

Yukiko nodded her understanding and felt the captain start to pulse some of her reiatsu into the area. At first nothing changed but after a moment she could feel something beginning to shift in her stomach. It made her feel worse and she grunted as she tried to keep the contents of her stomach inside.

After this Unohana pulled her hand away and nodded. "Alright, just take this and you should be fine," she told her handing over a small vial with a blue liquid inside.

Yukiko took it and downed the liquid before laying back down. After that Captain Unohana up and left and she was able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Outside the room, Captain Muguruma waited patiently for the squad 4 captain to exit. As soon as she came out he gave her a look that clearly asked after the well being of his squad member. "She'll be just fine," Unohana assured him. "You were right though, it was indeed his candy. I am impressed she was able to finish it off. Though after examining her bottomed out reiatsu I feel I understand why."<p>

"So, what do you think?" he asked calmly.

"If you're asking about my decision, it hasn't been made just yet," Unohana answered glancing back at the door. "After everything I've seen and examined from her so far I have to say her abilities are quite astounding, as is her potential. However, despite her desire to keep those around her from being hurt, I cannot say with a certainty that she will never become a threat."

"Tch, I can," Kensei grumbled in mild irritation. He thought for sure she'd be able to see it. "That kid's the farthest thing from dangerous you can get."

"So far," Unohana agreed. "However, it is often times the ones that feel too much that become the greatest danger. Remember, Kensei, our laws tend to be a bit harsher than many believe necessary. There may come a time when these laws will turn her away."

Kensei shook his head. "Even if that became an issue, she's not the type to blame something or someone for any incident," he explained. "She's the kind that blames herself for everything even if she had nothing to do with it. When it came to the laws, she'd think she was the cause of the law breakage and probably try to take the person's place."

Unohana nodded slowly, taking his words into consideration. "We shall see." With that she left, returning to her own squad.

Kensei grunted after her before taking a peek into Yukiko's room and seeing her sleep peacefully. After Unohana's admittance to not knowing for sure, he was starting to worry slightly about the chances of his plan working. At the very least though, they wouldn't just simply write her off. Still, they weren't even half way yet and he only really needed to convince seven of them. He'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Well those two visits seemed to be a real doosey. What was in that candy that Koizumi gave her? Unohana seems to think she may one day turn on Soul Society, but why? How will the rest of the captains react to Yukiko? Stay tuned to find out. And please remember to R&amp;R. -_~<p> 


	10. Old and New Faces

Chapter 10: Old and New Faces

The moon was still high in the sky when Yukiko woke up feeling refreshed. She had to take a moment and remember what all she'd done that would make her sleep so long and only after examining her own memories was she able to determine why she'd passed out so early.

Once she'd determined the cause of her sleeping all day, she got up quietly, changed, and made her way outside. Knowing it was too early for the cafeteria to have any food or anyone to be awake, and knowing that she wouldn't be able to return to sleep, she made her way to the training grounds to get in her morning practice.

An hour into her training, she was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. When she turned around, she saw her Captain walking toward her. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked in an almost scolding tone.

"Probably," she answered blushing slightly at being found out. "I couldn't sleep though, so I decided to kill some time until breakfast."

"Feeling better then?"

"Yeah, Captain Unohana really knows her stuff," Yukiko replied lightly. She looked up at her Captain and looked him over. He seemed a lot more at ease than she usually sees him. She guessed it was because Mashiro wasn't around. "So...does her coming over here mean I don't have to go to squad 4 today?"

"Nah, besides you've already been there before," he answered scratching his head. "It'd be a waste of time."

"Well...I only went over there before because I was injured," Yukiko pointed out in embarrassment. "In fact, I don't think I've seen Captain Unohana when I wasn't sick or injured."

"Well her whole job is healing people so that's not surprising," Kensei pointed out. "Just be glad you've only seen her twice."

Yukiko had to grin at this and nodded. "So then, today I'll be heading to squad 5...right?"

"Yep, you should feel alright about it," he replied as he turned and looked up at the sky. "You've already met the captain and lieutenant before after all."

"True." Yukiko finally put her sword away and went to sit on the grass before staring up at the sky as well. "You know, I was hoping to have the chance to show them how much I changed. I didn't want Captain Hirako to think I have no control and I'd rather Lieutenant Aizen didn't think I was an airhead that gets lost wherever they go."

"Aren't you?" he asked in a teasing manner. He glanced down at her and saw her attempt to glare at him. It was rather pathetic and held no real intimidation. Internally he laughed at the expression but he didn't let it show. "I'm kidding. Look as long as you show them exactly who you are now you should succeed."

This changed her expression and she smiled shyly once more. "You think so?" she asked leaning back on her hands.

"Doesn't matter," he replied simply. "You have to have the confidence that who you are is just fine, otherwise you'll go back to how you were."

Yukiko blushed at that and she pulled her knees up to her chin protectively. She had to admit he was right, but it wasn't exactly easy for her to have confidence in anything. It was certainly easier now than before but still, she felt she still needed to improve. She needed the strength to keep the people she cared about from getting hurt, especially from her own hand.

"Thanks...I'll try," she promised softly.

The pair stayed where they were silently watching the stars until she finally decided to move. Getting back on her feet she turned and looked determinedly at her captain.

"No I won't try," she corrected herself and clenched her fists. "I will gain that confidence...I will become someone strong...someone you can be proud of captain."

Kensei met her eyes at this and he could see a small amount of confidence in her words shine in her eyes, thought it was dimmed severely by the nervousness that was always there. Still, her declaration made him grin. "Good answer," he chuckled. "Well here's what you need to take with you. Once you've eaten, and I mean eaten a meal, head on out. Oh and tell Shinji I said hi."

He handed Yukiko another envelope which she took and bowed deeply trying to hide the blush that appeared at his words. They did make her feel better though. "Thank you, Captain. I will." He lifted a hand in acknowledgment of her words as he turned and left.

* * *

><p>A couple hours after her discussion with Captain Muguruma, Yukiko had eaten, alerted her friends to where she was going next and taken off toward the squad 5 area. She was surprisingly excited about the prospect of seeing the 5th squad captain and lieutenant once more and had actually been looking forward to the encounter ever since she'd heard she was being sent to each squad.<p>

The reason being, they were the only ones she'd met prior to her entry into the Gotei and wanted to show them just how much she'd changed. It didn't take her long to reach the right area and as soon as she did she put her map away and began searching for the two spirit energies. Once she'd located both of them, and found them near each other, she began heading in that direction.

In almost no time she found herself in front of the squad 5 barracks. She took a moment to verify that both the energies that she recognized were somewhere inside before moving to open the door. For some reason, just as she did so, one of the energies was suddenly right there and opened it first.

Looking up in surprise, she found herself face to face with the lieutenant. "Ah, Lieutenant Aizen," she mumbled in surprise forgetting for a moment what she'd prepared to say.

"Ah...Yukiko isn't it?" he asked gently. "You're not lost again are you?" He seemed a little concerned at the thought and Yukiko quickly shook her head.

"No, sir. I'm actually here to deliver something for Captain Hirako," she mumbled lightly. "I was actually just about to head inside to find him."

"I see, well why don't I show you the way," Aizen murmured gesturing for her to enter.

"Th-thank you," Yukiko stuttered feeling embarrassed by his gentle request. She followed him through the door and down the hall sensing the second energy she knew drawing closer.

"So, how have you enjoyed your squad?" Aizen asked curiously. "I have heard that Captain Muguruma can be a bit harsh on his subordinates."

"Oh no, he's been very good to me," Yukiko replied softly. "If it wasn't for him, I doubt I'd have ever gotten into the Gotei 13. But now I'm starting to feel more and more as if I truly belong here."

"I see," Aizen murmured. After a time of contemplative silence he spoke again. "Have you gained control of your Shikai yet?"

"Yes," Yukiko answered easily. "That's one of the things my captain has helped me with since I arrived. Oh, I never did get to thank you for showing me your Shikai, Lieutenant Aizen. So thanks." She bowed at this in her gratitude before smiling up at him. "It really was amazing. I kind of wish mine had as useful an ability as yours does."

"You flatter me," Aizen murmured softly reaching out and lightly patting her head. "I'm sure your Shikai is useful in its own right. And please, just call me Aizen."

Yukiko felt herself blush at this and nodded finding it impossible to reply. Shortly after this they arrived at a rather sizable enclosure at the center of the barracks. Sitting at one of the railings, relaxing, was a man with very long blond hair and wearing a captain's haori.

"Captain, you have a visitor," Aizen murmured gesturing to the girl beside him.

As he did so, the captain turned around and looked up at the young 10th seat. "Ah, you're Kensei's brat right?" he asked getting to his feet and looking her over as he towered over her.

"Y-yes sir," Yukiko stuttered. Somehow, her nervousness returned with a vengeance and she couldn't shake it. "A-and it's Yukiko."

"Right," he muttered digging a finger into his ear. "So, what've you got for me?"

Yukiko handed over the envelope and waited as he tore it open and read the contents, seemingly in a bored fashion. When he reached the end he let loose a small "tch" before crumpling up the paper and sliding it into a pocket.

"Um...and Captain Muguruma says hi," she mumbled almost imperceptibly.

At this the captain of squad 5 grinned and laughed. "He actually asked you to say that?" he asked in amusement. "Whatever. Since you came all this way why don't you show me how much you've grown since I caught you in the orchard?"

Yukiko swallowed hard at this. She'd wanted to prove that she was better than before, but suddenly having him ask her was a bit much. "Um, w-what do you suggest, sir?" she asked timidly.

"Eh, Shinji's fine," he muttered with a bored frown. "Sir makes me sound like an old man. As for what to do, why don't you and I have a short sparring match."

"Eh?!" Yukiko gasped not sure how else to respond. "I-I don't know if I really should, sir."

"Shinji...and it'll be fine," he replied pulling out his own blade and tapping it on his shoulder. "Come on, what do you say?"

"Captain, I think this is highly inappropriate," Aizen spoke up. "She's only a 10th seat. I doubt she'll be able to keep up with..."

"You do just fine sparring with Mashiro right?" Shinji cut in.

"Yes...but I..."

"Then this should be easy for you," Shinji cut her off.

Yukiko swallowed again before remembering what she'd wanted to prove in meeting this captain and nervously nodded before pulling out her own sword. She prepared herself for what was to come only to freeze in surprise moments later when something collided with the captain's face, throwing him across the grassy enclosure.

"Hey, baldy! What do you think you're doing?" the person demanded. To Yukiko's surprise, the person was wearing a squad 12 uniform and stood no taller than the captain's waistline.

"What the hell do you want, Hiyori?!" Shinji demanded. He'd sat back up holding onto his now bleeding nose. Yukiko felt a twinge of sympathy and worry for the captain but paused when Aizen placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, this sort of thing happens all the time," he told her in exasperation. "The two of them are rather old friends and tend to be a bit harsh on each other."

"Hey, who are you calling old friends, Aizen?" Hiyori demanded turning on the two spectators. Her sandy blond pigtails whipping about as she turned to face them, ignoring the downed captain. "And who's this?"

"That's Kensei's 10th seat," Shinji answered, having calmed down and somehow cleared away the blood from his nose. "I was just going to have her spar me, but since you're here why don't you do it?"

"Tch, like a 10th seat could really be any match for a lieutenant," Hiyori scoffed.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking...who are you?" Yukiko asked curiously. During the conversation she'd somehow managed to find her voice.

"I'm Hiyori Sarugake, the Lieutenant of Squad 12," the short girl answered. As she spoke, Yukiko found herself staring at the rather obvious snaggle tooth that was always visible. "And you think you can take me on?"

"Well...I have been doing a lot better," Yukiko muttered scratching the back of her head nervously. The sword in her hand hung weakly at her side as she glanced between everyone present. "But...I think I'll be able to hold my own."

"You think so?" Hiyori demanded harshly. Her voice alone made the 10th seat flinch. "Fine, let's go then!" With that the smaller soul reaper pulled her sword out and charged the larger female.

Yukiko wasn't expecting this and only managed to get her blade up at the last moment. She was able to hold the lieutenant's attack at bay and moved to the side in order to direct the remainder of the attack away from her. Then swung her blade at just the right angle to knock the lieutenant's blade into the air and sending the smaller soul reaper back a few feet.

Hiyori looked stunned at this and growled her irritation when she heard Shinji laughing. Then she charged once more.

For the next twenty minutes the two females exchanged blows back and forth without any of them getting through. The lieutenant's direct and forceful approach was really wearing down on the 10th seat who didn't have nearly as much physical strength and preferred to dodge or redirect the blows rather than just take them head on.

Eventually Hiyori got fed up with the larger girl's evasive style and pulled away before releasing her blade. "Chop Cleanly, Kubikiri Orochi," she muttered.

"It's just sparring, Hiyori," Shinji called out. He was worried the girl would continue to grow irritated and end up hurting the 10th seat, or making the other hurt her.

"I'm ending it now!" the female lieutenant declared. She shot forward again, faster than before and Yukiko dodged a few times not sure exactly what she was supposed to do.

Feeling as if the fight should definitely end before someone got hurt, Yukiko threw up a wind barrier only in front of her, just in time to deflect Hiyori's blow. Meanwhile, she calmed her own breathing, held her blade in front of her pointing downward and ran one palm along its length. "Breathe, Soyokaze," she murmured.

As soon as her own blade was released, she dropped the barrier that the lieutenant had been attempting to break and looked her over carefully. "Please, I'd rather not cause any damage," she murmured worriedly.

This only proved to anger the lieutenant even more as she attacked again, swinging her saw-like blade toward Yukiko's head. The 10th seat, however, was able to remain calm and swung one of her fan blades, lifting the lieutenant into the air and over the other side of the enclosure without cutting into her.

"Can't we just call it quits?" Yukiko requested once more. "I feel like this is just escalating out of control."

Hiyori sat up from her spot on the ground, panting from the impact and not saying a word. Yukiko took that to mean the fight was over and replaced her sword in its sheath.

"I've got to say, you've really improved," Shinji laughed walking over to the 10th seat and lightly patting her shoulder. "Well, I think we've kept you long enough. You should probably start heading back. Aizen, will you show her out?"

Yukiko nodded toward the captain and started following the squad 5 lieutenant out of the barracks. At the same time, all the unseated members that had gathered to watch the battle, dispersed and went back to whatever they'd been doing before hand.

"You're lucky you know," Shinji muttered to the small lieutenant who was still sitting on the ground. Her sword by this point had reverted back to normal and she slowly put it back in her sheath.

"What are you talking about?" Hiyori asked, though her voice was way more subdued. Apparently the encounter had really freaked her out.

"That there was Yukiko," Shinji answered easily. "She's _that_ girl. The one Kensei took in."

Hiyori looked up at him in shock and her face turned the slightest bit pale. "That was her?!" she demanded, getting her attitude back. "How the hell did she do all that? I thought she was supposed to have no control."

"Naw, she's way better than the first time I met her," Shinji answered scratching at his head. "But just so you know, had she still been lacking in control, you'd be in worse shape than you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That girl, has enough power to fight on par with Mashiro," Shinji answered calmly. "And you know how little she's able to hold back. Without her control, your first attack would have landed you where you ended up at the end, but with a few cuts here and there."

Hiyori seemed to pale again as he finished up his explanation. Then without another word she just up and left. Shinji figured whatever she'd been there for hadn't been important so he didn't bother trying to call her back. Still, he was pleased she'd arrived when she did. It gave him a chance to simply observe the girl's strength without having her fight Aizen. Kensei was right, she really had improved, far more than he thought possible. Now, her only hope was to have all the rest see what he and Kensei did.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Things are heating up. Yukiko has seen Aizen's shikai and everyone knows what that means. At least she's almost made it halfway through the squads managing to keep herself calm even against the angry and loud Hiyori. Next she'll have to deal with the noble Kuchiki household. * spoiler * Yes everyone's favorite kuchicki will be making an appearance in the next chapter so stay tuned, and please remember to R&amp;R.<p> 


	11. Noble Gestures

Chapter 11: Noble Gestures

"Woah...this is way bigger than I thought," Yukiko murmured as she stared up at the vast building before her. She was a long way from what she was used to and felt she stuck out far too much. Her current location...sereitei's noble houses. "Why'd he have me come all the way out here again? Oh right..."

* Flashback *

"I'm ready to head out, Captain," Yukiko declared when she walked into her captain's office.

He was shuffling around some papers before looking up at her. "Right, there's been a slight change in plans today," he told her right off as he held out the envelope to her.

"You mean, I won't be visiting squad 6 today?" she asked curiously.

"Exactly."

"Uh...then which squad am I going to visit, sir?"

He smirked. "None of them." This really confused her but she knew he was going to explain so she waited. "Turns out the captain of squad 6 has taken the week off to spend time taking care of family business so he'll be at the Kuchiki villa. That's where you'll be heading."

Yukiko took a step back in shock and she tried to come up with some explanation as to why. "B-but that would be among the noble households. Someone like me, who's from the Rukongai, has no business being anywhere near there," she tried to argue hoping he'd see reason and change his mind.

"You past doesn't matter here," Kensei told her flatly. "Right now you're a 10th seat in the Gotei 13. As long as it's business regarding the 13 court guard squads you have every right to go visit." Yukiko stuttered a bit and tried once again to get him to see things from her perspective but her easily cut her off. "I told you you'd be visiting the captains of each squad, seeing the rest of the squad is usually just a bonus. But since the captain isn't with his squad you'll be going to see him directly. Now get moving, you're burning daylight."

* End Flashback *

"Why does my captain have to be so difficult sometimes," she grumbled as she scratched her head and tried to figure out how she was even going to convince them to let her in. Eventually she decided to wing it and if she couldn't get in she'd just head back and let her captain know they wouldn't allow her.

Once she had her mind firmly set on that plan, she walked up to the door but was stopped by two guards before she could reach it. Both had long poles that acted as weapons but she didn't dare consider them none threatening.

"State your business," the one to her left ordered coldly.

"Uh...I'm h-here to deliver something to C-Captain Kuchiki," she answered quickly. They weren't nearly as intimidating as some of the captains she'd met thus far, but she still didn't underestimate them.

"Give it here and we'll see he gets it," the guard to her right growled holding out his hand.

Yukiko quickly shook her head. "I can't. I was ordered by my captain to give it too him directly." She shuffled her feet nervously and waited for them to tell her to beat it.

"Who are you?" the one on the left asked finally.

"Y-Yukiko. I'm the 10th seat of squad 9," she told them. Something seemed off to her, but then again she had no idea what to expect from the nobles. What was going to happen next?

The guard on the left gestured with his head and the one on the right vanished; probably to head inside and alert the captain who'd come to call. She waited on the doorstep for another 10 minutes before the guard returned and glared at her.

"He said to meet him in the inner gardens," he grumbled in irritation. "I'm to show you the way."

Yukiko nodded in understanding before following the guard inside. She was amazed by the sheer size of the house and the richness in the architecture and decorations used. She never seen so many things that looked like they cost a fortune in her life.

In what seemed like no time she found herself at the edge of a gorgeous area covered in grass with a wooden bridge that stretched over a small stream that had carp jumping out of it, and trees dotted here and there. Yukiko quickly closed her open mouth when the guard turned back to her. "You're to wait here for him, don't touch anything and don't go anywhere," he growled menacingly before leaving her there.

Yukiko sighed in relief before wandering the garden. She walked along the cooling grass and to the top of the bridge feeling the soft breeze tickle her cheeks. There were a lot of sounds being carried on the wind today, but she couldn't identify any of them. As she stood on the bridge overlooking the stream, she caught sight of a boy, probably in his mid to late teens, practicing with a kendo stick.

Curious, she walked over to him and he paused in his training to wipe a towel across his forehead. "Hello, are you enjoying your practice?" she asked pleasantly.

He turned to face her and frowned before holding his towel out to her. "You must be new if you're asking me that," he scoffed. "Go fetch me a new one and a glass of water."

Yukiko didn't know what to think of the little brat but she wasn't about to do as he said either. She had enough people ordering her around as it was. "Go do it yourself, brat," she replied folding her arms. "I'm not your maid. I'm a member of the Gotei 13 thank you very much. Who are you?"

"I don't care who you think you are," he returned sticking the kendo stick in her face. "You'll show the proper respect for your betters."

Yukiko's frown deepened and she thought about the many times Kensei had scolded her and how he'd done it. Then taking a leaf out of his book, she brought her fist down on top of his head. "Kids shouldn't talk back to their seniors," she told him firmly. What reason did she have to be afraid of a kid after all.

Just after she did, she had three guards all pointing their sticks in her face and she went white with fear. "Do not lay a hand on young master Byakuya," one of the guards threatened.

"S-sorry," she stuttered. "I had no idea he was...wait are you a Kuchicki?"

The boy smirked at her and folded his arms in reply. "I told you not to look down on your betters," he replied cheekily.

Yukiko felt her face burn not sure what to do now that she knew he was also a noble but so not liking the attitude. "What's going on here?" a deep voice demanded as a elderly gentleman strolled across the grounds. He was wearing a fine kimono and his very presence demanded respect.

Upon his appearance the three guards turned from her and got on one knee bowing to the man. "Sir, this woman assaulted the young master," the one who spoke before explained.

"I-I'm very sorry I hit your grandson," Yukiko piped up bowing at the waist herself. "I had no idea he was part of your family when I did...I just thought he was a brat that needed a good scolding." As the last words left her lips, Yukiko felt her breath leave as well as she realized what she'd just said. Suddenly she wished she could be back at her squad being put through combat drills one after another by Kensei. At least then she'd know when she screwed up and how to fix it.

"I see. Leave us, there's no reason for your presence here," the older man ordered the guards. Reluctantly they agreed and vanished from sight. "I apologize if my grandson was less than hospitable. He has a tendency to become easily angered." He walked over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Guests should be treated with more respect than that, Byakuya."

"Yes, grandfather," the boy acknowledged though he discreetly shot Yukiko a dirty look.

The girl sighed and apologized once more for smacking the boy on the head before pulling out the envelope. "Here you go sir, this is what I was meant to deliver."

He took it, tore it open and began reading the contents. As he read, Yukiko looked around the garden once more allowing the scenery to calm her nerves. In doing so, her attention was directed toward a sound being brought to her on the wind.

"Do we move now?"

"Not yet, that old man's a captain remember?"

"It doesn't matter. We should be able to grab the boy while keeping the old man distracted."

"What about the other soul reaper?"

"Didn't you see how she reacted to those guards appearing? She's a wimp. She'll be easy to take down."

"Enough, we move on my signal."

As the wind died down, Yukiko casually made her way to the captain's side and whispered. "I believe there will be an attempt on your grandson."

"What makes you say that?" the old man asked, pretending to scan the material now. She could sense the sudden change in his reiatsu and knew he was trying to find the threat himself.

"I can hear them," she answered easily.''

"How certain are you?"

"Um...about 90%? I'm never completely certain about anything. It makes it easier to catch my own mistakes."

"I see. If and when they appear, guard my son and don't let up until I tell you."

Yukiko nodded and seconds later the three she'd heard talking suddenly jumped from the trees, all of the shrouded in dark clothing. Somehow, even with them directly in front of her, she couldn't sense anything from them. What was going on?

Deciding to ignore them and allow the captain to take care of the threat, she shot over to Byakuya who'd returned to his practice and hadn't noticed the four men attacking him. She reached him mere moments before the others and ignored his annoyed words before activating her wind barrier, having it surround the two of them. She was just in time as she felt the four attackers slam into the barrier.

Once she was sure it was up, she took a seat in the middle and began deep breathing to keep herself calm and complete control over the barrier. She had to make sure absolutely nothing got through.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya demanded harshly. "My grandfather is out there fighting and I will not sit in here cowering. I am a Kuchiki and we don't abandon our family. Now drop this barrier!"

Yukiko didn't flinch at his words or worry about irritating a noble. Instead all she saw before her was a boy who could not fight yet and she needed to protect him. "I don't care if you're a noble or not. I was ordered by a captain to make sure you stayed safe and to not stop until he alerts me," she told him sternly, glaring at him as an adult would a misbehaving child. "You won't be able to break though yourself so you might as well relax until he had finished fending off the enemy."

With that she closed her eyes and continued to focus on the battle taking place outside her small safe haven. Occasionally she'd feel an attack reach her barrier and she'd strengthen it momentarily. Once she even noticed one trying to jump through the center so she activated her reiatsu to blow the attacker back out the way he came.

It didn't take too long for the captain to dispatch all the offenders and when she felt him tap her barrier, she dropped it and got to her feet. "I'm sorry I was unable to help, grandfather, but this one wouldn't let me out," Byakuya grumbled indignantly.

"Good, I'm pleased that Kensei's 10th seat has such a useful ability in her arsenal," he conveyed with a slight nod. He didn't smile afterwords, but she felt the slightest softening was the closest he ever got to one.

"I'm pleased I was able to help, sir," she murmured back. She couldn't help feeling rather proud of herself for being able to complete a task without any accidents.

"Take heed, Byakuya," Captain Kuchiki directed at the boy. "At the moment you are not prepared to take on any enemy, you must be willing to follow orders and calm your emotions. And keep in mind, when the day comes that you become a soul reaper, an order given by a captain takes presedence over all other responsibilities; even those given by a noble."

Byakuya seemed humbled by his grandfather's words and nodded wordlessly. After that Yukiko was given the okay to return to her own squad and she started heading for the exit. Along the way, however, she was stopped by the young Kuchiki who grudgingly stared at the ground. "Thanks," he grumbled.

Yukiko hadn't been sure she'd heard him right, but before she could ask him to repeat it, he'd disappeared having returned to his training. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd really heard a thank you come from the boy. Even so, she started to realize he wasn't so bad and actually looked forward to a time when she'd meet him again...however far off that would be.

* * *

><p>Shippoman: Awe, Byakuya's adorable. He doesn't really know what to make of Yukiko yet though, a scaredy cat one moment and an unmovable wall the next. Still at least his grandfather seems to approve of her, at least a little bit. Coming up next we have squad 7 and bit of Yukiko's past comes back to haunt her. Stay tuned and remember to R&amp;R. :D<p> 


End file.
